Somaliland officials have reached out to the Gulf States to foster economic and diplomatic cooperation, a development which is hoped to strengthen Somaliland’s call for international recognition.

Below is an article published by The Gulf Times:

A visiting member of parliament from Somaliland has appealed to Arab countries, in particular GCC states, to consider sending fact-finding missions to his African “country” to understand “ground realities” there.

The parliamentarian, Nasir Nagi Ali, also requested GCC states to explore the possibility of opening diplomatic offices in Somaliland. This, he said, would help it gain membership of the African Union and ultimately the United Nations.

Nagi Ali also sought GCC assistance for rebuilding infrastructure in Somaliland. He recalled that a number of EU members had made contributions for rebuilding roads and Berbera port. “However, due to the lack of recognition as a separate country, the economy could not grow the way we had expected at the proclamation of independence,” he said.

Nagi Ali was speaking to Gulf Times on Thursday [11 October 2007]. He is a member of Ucid, one of the three parties represented in parliament.

Somaliland, once colonised by the British, possessed virtually every characteristic considered essential for recognition as a country, he said.

The parliamentarian said Somaliland regained its freedom after a national reconciliation conference in Burao in 1991 that was attended by all Somaliland clans, intellectuals, politicians, and prominent diaspora figures. 

After the proclamation of “independence” in 1991 from mainland Somalia, Somaliland had approved its constitution in 2000 and conducted municipal elections in 2002.

“Ours is a country where there is a proper system of administration and the law of the land is supreme. We have a government, ministers, president, flag, supreme court, own currency, written constitution, bicameral legislature, defence forces, police, and an election commission.”

Nagi Ali said a large number of Somalis living in Qatar are from Somaliland.

He planned to meet some ministers and members of the Shura Council to convince them of Somaliland’s real status, he said.