SOMALILAND: The African Country that doesn't really exist!

Do you know Somaliland? If not, rest assured you are not the only one. This video will explain to you why Somaliland is a country which is not recognized today, despite the fact that it has its own entry visa, its government, its own currency, its modern shops and even its own police and army. But first, we need to understand the geography of Somaliland and the geopolitical aspect of the country. If you're new to the channel, please consider subscribing and turn on the notification bell so you can be notified every time we upload a new video. Somaliland is a territory of the Horn of Africa, as large as England of 3.5 million inhabitants, but it is not on any map and has no official existence today. It is located between Somalia and Djibouti. Hargeisa, the capital and largest city of Somaliland, has a population of 1 million. Completely ravaged by civil war about 20 years ago, it was rebuilt without any international aid. Somaliland has three borders, Somalia to the east, Ethiopia to the south, and Djibouti to the northwest. The language spoken in the country is Somali. Somaliland was part of Somalia from July 1960 to May 18, 1991, when the self-proclamation of its independence was not recognized, as was its constitution adopted on April 30, 2000 by the international community. Politically, Somaliland establishes its laws on the basis of Islamic, democratic, and ancestral demands. Courts in Somaliland operate under the Sharia Islamic law. In the country, all the elections that have taken place so far have been considered democratic. Economically, Somaliland has rebuilt without any international aid its capital, which was totally destroyed in 1988. The Somaliland parliament functions according to traditional and democratic requirements. Somaliland has a visible border which is hard to miss. The country also has police officers who check every person in the territory and impose attacks on goods. Every day, dozens of trucks cross this country and take a deserted and dangerous road riddled with mines to trade to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Many truckers die on this road. There's no insurance in Somaliland, so no one can reimburse truckers for damage that occurs to their trucks or to the goods being transported. Most of the goods and merchandise transported by truckers through Somaliland are, in fact, not destined for Somaliland but rather for its neighboring countries. Among the products transported and exported are carpets, televisions, camels, and food products. Truckers also deliver an illegal and popular drug in Somaliland called cat, a little green leaf. To stay awake on their long road trip, truckers use this powerful, fast-acting drug. In Somaliland, people do not joke with the cat. If the drug is not available or if it is lacking, it could start a civil war. There's also a drink that sells in large quantities. It is delivered every morning and it is consumed fresh. This is the camel milk. Somaliland is one of the leading exporters of camels. Thousands of camels are sold three times a week in this country. Somalilanders consume camel meat in large quantities to survive, stay healthy, and stay in good shape. Ahmed Mohamed Silano, former politician and president of Somaliland from 2010 to 2017, used to rule Somaliland with democratic means. He was the fourth head of state of this self-proclaimed republic, which has gone through three democratic transitions since its declaration of independence in 1991. Somaliland has remained at peace, avoiding the instability and conflicts which destroyed the center and the south of Somalia. This gave its democracy time to develop slowly and also allowed it to experience sustainable economic growth. The organization of the presidential election was a sign of stability, making Somaliland a model for many African countries. However, the economic development of Somaliland has not changed the daily lives of the majority of the country's inhabitants. According to the World Bank and based on citizens' income in 2012, Somaliland could be placed fourth lowest income in the world if it were considered a real country. Unfortunately, this situation pushes many young people into exile. Since then, in most of today's presidential elections, which are held regularly every five years, it has been almost 15 years since Somaliland's parliament was renewed. For now, by consensus, elected officials have decided, with the permission of the Senate, the funds for its presidential elections will normally be used for the country's development projects. Now, we want to understand why Somaliland is a territory that has no official existence. Yet, it has its own army, its own entry visa, its own government, its own constitution, its own currency, its own flag, and even the internet. It has a capital, an international airport, universities, a prison, and modern shops. The UK prints its currency and supplies the country with the equipment it needs to monitor its land border. As in a real country, there's even a visa service which is only open three hours a day. Many inhabitants leave to be registered to obtain their first identity card of the country because it represents their future and with that, they will be able to have their passport, certificate of nationality, and become true citizens of the country. All of these are the trappings of a true nation-state. But, Somaliland does not exist as a real country in the eyes of the international community. The African Union and the international community refuse to recognize Somaliland. It is classified as one of the 50 countries that do not exist in the world today. Yet, it existed for five days in the 1960s, being recognized by 33 states around the world before becoming the Federal Republic of Somalia. First, to answer this question, it should be understood that the African Union is currently not used to recognizing the independence of regions because in most member states, national unity is often fragile so they do not want to give a bad example. On the Somaliland issue, in fact, it is not a priority for the African Union. In the eyes of the international community, Somaliland is only a semi-autonomous region in the whole of Africa. Rather, the African Union is engaged in partnership with the regime in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, to fight al-Shabaab in Somalia. The United Nations feared that if Somaliland's independence is recognized in the world, it could start or break out new wars in the regions. If it finally declares its independence successfully, it could lead to a new war with the central power. The second answer to this question is a historical reason linked to the colonization of Africa. African borders were defined by colonial empires at the end of the 19th century. Since that time, African borders have not moved. Even with decolonization, organizations like the UN and the Organization of African Unity have refused to review African borders as it could lead to many wars. By recognizing Somaliland as a real country, it could call into question current African borders and lead to many conflicts between countries. Somaliland has given itself a new president, but it is not a real state because the international community has never recognized it. This has now been going on for over 25 years, but the presidential election went smoothly, which is rather rare in other African countries. Former Somaliland President Ahmed Mohammed Selanio explained that although Somaliland is not recognized, it remains internationally important. Although the country was not recognized during Selanio's presidential tenure, countries like the United States have nonetheless started to increase their relations with Somaliland. But being a president not recognized by the international community creates some inconvenience. This implies that Somaliland cannot participate in international forums and that the country cannot sit in the UN. Unfortunately, this country is not entitled to the same rights as the countries of the international community. So, in conclusion, Somaliland is not considered a real country. Today, it is deprived of all recognition and assistance. Thanks for watching this video and if you liked it, please give us a like and leave us a comment in the section below. Bless.