Somalia Since 1991: The Somaliland Case

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the collapse of Somalia’s central government. For three decades, the country has endured fragmentation and instability, with no single authority controlling the territory from Ras Kamboni in the south to Looy’ade in the north.

In this series, Kormeeraha Magazine explores the legacy of the civil war, beginning with the North and focusing specifically on the self-declared republic of Somaliland. Contributors from the region will examine various facets of Somaliland’s society, economy, politics, and contemporary challenges.

Somaliland encompasses five of Somalia’s 18 administrative regions: Sool, Sanaag, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed (Northwest), and Awdal. Historically, these areas comprised British Somaliland before uniting with the former Italian Somaliland to form the independent Somali Republic on July 1, 1960.

“For three decades, Somalia has endured fragmentation, with no single authority controlling the territory from Ras Kamboni in the south to Looy’ade in the north.”

In 1978, following the war over the Western Somali region, commonly known as the Ogaden War, clan-based opposition groups to President Mohamed Siad Barre’s revolutionary regime began to form, largely organizing in exile. In the North, the Somali National Movement (SNM) launched an armed guerrilla campaign against the central government. Operating from bases in Ethiopia—which had been at war with Somalia over the Ogaden region since 1977—the SNM militia waged a protracted insurgency.

After the Barre regime collapsed in January 1991 and the new government, headed by USC leader Ali Mahdi, disbanded the Somali National Army (SNA), local, clan-based militias quickly mobilized to fill the security void. In regions such as Awdal, Sool, and Sanaag, these groups organized to protect their communities and counter emerging SNM dominance, particularly in response to retaliatory attacks against clans perceived to have sided with the former regime.

As the SNM secured control over most of the northern regions, it became imperative to halt these escalating hostilities and establish a new, inclusive political order.

Between April and June 1991, at the invitation of the SNM, northern clan elders gathered in Burco. On May 18, they issued a statement formally asserting the North’s declaration of independence. This milestone was followed by subsequent reconciliation meetings, most notably the 1993 Borama Conference, which formalized the establishment of the “Republic of Somaliland” and drafted its national charter.

“Somaliland has experienced a markedly different trajectory from the rest of Somalia, particularly the national capital, which was ravaged by fratricidal conflict.”

Since then, Somaliland has experienced a markedly different trajectory from the rest of Somalia, particularly the national capital, Mogadishu, which was ravaged by fratricidal conflict. However, Somaliland has not been without its own challenges. Much like the rest of the country, the enduring clan system, decaying infrastructure, and scarce resources have fostered a political culture susceptible to patronage and corruption, leaving the region heavily reliant on international organizations and the diaspora.

“The enduring clan system, decaying infrastructure, and scarce resources have fostered a political culture susceptible to patronage and corruption.”

Guns, Waste, and Warlords: Ali Mahdi’s Shadow Legacy (March 10, 2021)