REPUBLIC OF SOMALILAND:
THE MOST DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY IN EAST AFRICA
IT'S TIME FOR THE WORLD TO RECOGNIZE SOMALILAND AS AN INDEPENDENT AFRICAN STATE
Like a phoenix from the ashes, Somaliland emerged from its War of Independence in 1991 as a hopeful republic.
Saddled with early political and economic challenges, the Republic of Somaliland has instituted its own democratic government and established a robust and effective military, police force, financial system and currency, and controls its borders.
Somaliland has achieved extraordinary progress as a functional, safe democracy with limited support from the international community and in the shadow of Somalia's failed state.
African Union Fact-Finding Mission to Somaliland (2005)
MONTEVIDEO CONVENTION
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT [1933]
The criteria of statehood were established by the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States (1933), which provided that a state must possess i) a permanent population, ii) a defined territory, iii) a government, iv) and the capacity to conduct international relations in order to qualify for and be acknowledged as a state.
The Somaliland government asserts that it has for many years fulfilled all of these requirements.
i) Somalilanders carry identification cards and passports, are surveyed in a national census, and vote in free and fair local and national elections controlled through biometric data.
ii) Somaliland has preserved its colonial borders since it was a protectorate of the United Kingdom and controlled them since the country's independence. Somaliland borders Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
iii) Somaliland's constitution is upheld by elected and appointed officials who comprise its parliament and House of Elders. Since the country's independence, its people have enjoyed three peaceful transitions of power. Today's multi-party democratic system complement Somaliland's executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.
iv) Somaliland maintains diplomatic relations with dozens of countries, including those who recognize its sovereignty and others who have not yet done so. Somaliland has representative offices in the United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, and many more. Somaliland hosts embassies and diplomatic missions from the United Kingdom, Turkey, Taiwan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and UAE.
SOMALILAND’S VOTING TECHNOLOGY
The Republic of Somaliland has become the first country in the world to use iris recognition in a presidential election!
This important technology has enabled free, credible, and just elections. Earning public trust and gaining international acknowledgement as an independent democratic state drive Somaliland to develop and embrace electoral practices that are in line with international standards.
The iris scan technology, created with support by researchers from the University of Notre Dame, has made a powerful statement about Somaliland's legitimacy as a nation-state.
Click here to read more about Somaliland’s leadership in voting technology in Africa and the world!
REPUBLIC OF SOMALILAND PASSPORT
Somaliland issues passports to citizens for international travel. The Somaliland passport was first issued in 1996, and a biometric passport was created in 2014, in line with new global standards and the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
SOMALILAND NATIONAL ARMED FORCES
The Somaliland National Armed Forces are the military services of the Republic of Somaliland. They are composed of two active military branches: the army and the navy. The Somaliland Police Force is also a part of the internal security forces.
Headquarters: Hargeisa, Somaliland
Fit for military service: 300,000, age 18-45
Reaching military age annually: 250,000
Active personnel: 100,000
Commander-in-chief: President Muse Bihi Abdi
Click here to meet Zuhuur Fathi Muktar, Somaliland's first female Coastguard Captain!
SOMALILAND SHILLING
The Somaliland Shilling is the official currency of the Republic of Somaliland.
In September 1994, the Parliament of Somaliland endorsed President Egal’s plans to introduce a new currency to replace the Somali shilling.
The Somaliland shilling was introduced on 18 October 1994. The Somali Shilling ceased to be accepted as legal tender in Somaliland on 31 January 1995.
The Somaliland shilling is pegged to the United States Dollar at a rate of 8,500 Shillings to 1 dollar. Only the 100, 500, 1,000 and 5,000 Somaliland Shilling banknotes are currently in circulation.
