Regarding the Legal and Historical Basis for the Recognition of the Republic of Somaliland**
To:
H.E. The President and Distinguished Members
United Nations Security Council
United Nations Headquarters
New York, NY
Subject: Request for Consideration of the International Recognition of the Republic of Somaliland
Your Excellencies,
I have the honor to address the United Nations Security Council on behalf of the Horn of Africa Organization of the Republic of Somaliland, in strict adherence to the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations. The purpose of this communication is to set forth, in a clear and lawful manner, the historical, legal, and political bases of Somaliland’s enduring claim to international recognition as a sovereign and independent state.
1. Historical Sovereignty and International Recognition (1960)
The Republic of Somaliland attained its independence from the United Kingdom on 26 June 1960, thereby becoming a sovereign state under international law. During this period of independence, Somaliland was recognized by more than thirty states, including permanent and non‑permanent members of the United Nations. Notably, the State of Israel was among the first countries to formally recognize Somaliland, and there has never been any legal revocation of that recognition.
On 1 July 1960, Somaliland entered into a voluntary union with the former Italian Trust Territory of Somalia. However, this union was never legally consummated in accordance with international standards. No ratified Act of Union, binding treaty, or internationally registered legal instrument exists that lawfully unified the two sovereign states. As such, the sovereignty attained by Somaliland in June 1960 was never legally extinguished.
2. Absence of Legal Consent and Rejection of the Somali Republic Constitution
In June 1961, a referendum was held on the constitution of the Somali Republic. The people of Somaliland rejected this constitution by an overwhelming majority, thereby formally withdrawing their consent to the political arrangement governing the union. From that point onward, Somaliland existed within the Somali Republic without democratic legitimacy, effectively under coercive rule.
This lack of consent and constitutional legitimacy is a critical legal fact and distinguishes Somaliland’s case from unilateral secession claims elsewhere.
3. Self‑Determination and the 2001 Referendum
Following decades of marginalization, systematic human rights abuses, and violent repression—culminating in the collapse of the Somali central government in 1991—the people of Somaliland exercised their inalienable right to self‑determination, as enshrined in Article 1(2) of the UN Charter.
In May 2001, Somaliland adopted a new constitution through a free, fair, and internationally observed referendum, in which 97.7% of voters reaffirmed Somaliland’s independence and the restoration of its sovereignty. This democratic expression represents a clear and lawful manifestation of the will of the people under international law.
4. Compliance with the Montevideo Convention (1933)
The Republic of Somaliland fully satisfies all four criteria for statehood under the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States (1933):
A permanent population
A defined territory, corresponding exactly to the borders of the former British Protectorate
An effective and functioning government, exercising control over its territory
The capacity to enter into relations with other states
For more than three decades, Somaliland has maintained peace, democratic governance, regular elections, and effective state institutions—without international recognition or external assistance.
5. African Union Legal Context and the 2005 AU Fact‑Finding Mission
In 2005, the African Union dispatched a Fact‑Finding Mission to Somaliland, which concluded that Somaliland’s case is “unique and self‑justified” and does not constitute a precedent for secession elsewhere in Africa. The report explicitly recognized that Somaliland’s situation arises from the dissolution of a failed voluntary union between two previously sovereign states.
Furthermore, Somaliland’s claim is fully consistent with the AU principle of uti possidetis juris, as it seeks recognition strictly within its colonial-era borders, not their alteration.
6. Recent International Developments and Israel’s Recognition (2025)
On 26 December 2025, the State of Israel became the first UN member state to formally recognize the Republic of Somaliland in the modern era. This recognition was articulated through a joint declaration signed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Cirro).
This act has been widely described as a re‑recognition, grounded in Somaliland’s prior sovereignty in 1960, its sustained democratic governance, and its compliance with international law. While this decision has generated diplomatic debate, it has also re‑opened a long‑standing and unresolved legal question that merits serious and objective consideration by the international community.
7. Territorial Integrity vs. Restored Sovereignty
While respect for the territorial integrity of UN member states is a cornerstone of the UN Charter, Somaliland respectfully submits that this principle is misapplied in its case. Somaliland does not seek to dismantle an existing sovereign state; rather, it seeks the restoration of a sovereignty that lawfully existed prior to an unratified and failed union.
International law does not prohibit the recognition of a state that fulfills the criteria of statehood, enjoys popular legitimacy, and violates no international or regional legal norms.
8. Conclusion and Request
In light of the foregoing:
Somaliland’s prior international recognition in 1960
The absence of a lawful union with Somalia
Its clear compliance with the Montevideo Convention
The democratic exercise of self‑determination
The findings of the African Union Fact‑Finding Mission
And its consistent respect for international and regional law
The Republic of Somaliland respectfully requests the United Nations Security Council to give due consideration to its case, and to facilitate a lawful, peaceful, and principled pathway toward full international recognition and membership in the United Nations.
Such recognition would not only correct a historical and legal anomaly, but also contribute to stability, security, and democratic governance in the Horn of Africa.
Please accept, Your Excellencies, the assurances of my highest consideration.
Respectfully submitted,
Name: Dr. Abdi Abdillahi Hassan
Title / Institution: Chairperson Horn of Africa Development Organization( Hodo life line
Republic of Somaliland
Date: 28 December 2025
Contact details: abdhihassanh0@gmail.com
Telephone number: 00252634705970
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