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**Nubtoubrem** · 06-27-2010, 07:41 AM

So is Somaliland actually Independent or is it attempting to secede ?

Because i haven't seen anything by that name on any map

Somaliland gained independence from Great Britain on June 26, 1960 (today's the 50th anniversary btw)...Somalia gained its independence from Italy on July 1st 1960. Therefore, Somaliland was a sovereign and independent country for 5 days. Besides, Somaliland and Somalia mean the same thing, "land of the Somalis", and in my mind, Somaliland was always the real deal, while Somalia is our mutated, ugly clone in the south.

It was the Somaliland based SYL (Somali Youth League) who even proposed the eventual union of the British, Italian (and eventually French and Ethiopian) Somalilands into a united "Somalia" as early as the 1950s. Back then, the British were promoting and cultivating self determination because they found it cute and adorable that their colonial subjects are getting all grown up and doing grown up things...this was the case in other British colonies, like Nigeria and India. Post World War 2 were good times to be a British colony.

The South was also getting groomed, but by the un trusteeship for a period of 10 years, which was working with Italy. The Italians, understandably were half assed about getting the Somalis in the south ready for self determination. Afterall, that the south became a un trusteeship was because Italy was stripped of its colonial possessions in WW2.

Somaliland's relationship with Ethiopia is purely strategic, and it's in Somaliland's economic and political benefit to maintain a good relationship with the largest country in the region. Ethiopia has it's own reasons for not recognizing Somaliland's independence, we don't need it, nor do we need or seek Africa or the Arab world's recognition either, since they mostly oppose it for their own reasons. America and the eu is another matter, and the ones' opinion that do matter.

Last edit...Ezana, you're mistaken if you think that Somaliland's sphere of influence was Ethiopian. That is ludicrous, and as Boosted J mentioned, Somalis expanded from north to the south. Most of the original Qadiriyya sufi saints buried in southern Somalia, and in Kelaafo, Ethiopia were from modern day Somaliland. Most cultural influences in the south have a northern origin anyway, from poetry/oral literature, to music...in the heyday of Somali music, the best singers and musicians in Mogadishu were from the North. To this day when you listen to Somali news broadcasted from Mogadishu, or the BBC Somali, it's with a standard north Somali accent.

06-27-2010, 07:41 AM	#23
Nubtoubrem Join Date Nov 2005 Posts 424 Senior Member	So is Somaliland actually Independent or is it attempting to secede ? Because i haven't seen anything by that name on any map Somaliland gained independence from Great Britain on June 26, 1960 (today's the 50th anniversary btw)...Somalia gained its independence from Italy on July 1st 1960. Therefore, Somaliland was a sovereign and independent country for 5 days. Besides, Somaliland and Somalia mean the same thing, "land of the Somalis", and in my mind, Somaliland was always the real deal, while Somalia is our mutated, ugly clone in the south. It was the Somaliland based SYL (Somali Youth League) who even proposed the eventual union of the British, Italian (and eventually French and Ethiopian) Somalilands into a united "Somalia" as early as the 1950s. Back then, the British were promoting and cultivating self determination because they found it cute and adorable that their colonial subjects are getting all grown up and doing grown up things...this was the case in other British colonies, like Nigeria and India. Post World War 2 were good times to be a British colony. The South was also getting groomed, but by the un trusteeship for a period of 10 years, which was working with Italy. The Italians, understandably were half assed about getting the Somalis in the south ready for self determination. Afterall, that the south became a un trusteeship was because Italy was stripped of its colonial possessions in WW2. Somaliland's relationship with Ethiopia is purely strategic, and it's in Somaliland's economic and political benefit to maintain a good relationship with the largest country in the region. Ethiopia has it's own reasons for not recognizing Somaliland's independence, we don't need it, nor do we need or seek Africa or the Arab world's recognition either, since they mostly oppose it for their own reasons. America and the eu is another matter, and the ones' opinion that do matter. Last edit...Ezana, you're mistaken if you think that Somaliland's sphere of influence was Ethiopian. That is ludicrous, and as Boosted J mentioned, Somalis expanded from north to the south. Most of the original Qadiriyya sufi saints buried in southern Somalia, and in Kelaafo, Ethiopia were from modern day Somaliland. Most cultural influences in the south have a northern origin anyway, from poetry/oral literature, to music...in the heyday of Somali music, the best singers and musicians in Mogadishu were from the North. To this day when you listen to Somali news broadcasted from Mogadishu, or the BBC Somali, it's with a standard north Somali accent.
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