Where Is Somaliland?

When the Almighty distributed land to the peoples of the world, he had bestowed upon the Somali people an area of land so bountiful that they would remain a self-reliant nation for all time. The national territory of the Somali people is a place that is sacred to those who work this land by raising livestock upon it. The national territory, of the Somali people, is the the very foundation of Somali freedom. This land supports the many millions of Ari and Gheel that Somali culture—as we have come to know it—is physically tethered to this land despite the endless peregrination of the Somali people. This land, more than anything else, unifies all of the Somali people and marks them out as unique.

From the equatorial South; through the seemingly endless Somali flatland; and over the highest peaks of the magnificent Golis mountains, the national territory of the Somali people supports a peaceful and comfortably ancient way of life. The ancient Somali way of life is common to all Somali people, and the fact that all Somali people share a single common language is evidence of the unitary nature of Somali culture. From the rich red earth of Galguduud to the tranquil sand dunes of coastal Mudug, there exists a unity of purpose shared by the Somalis who live in this corner of the world. From the Bajuni islands of Badhaadhe district to the coastal islands of Zaylac district, there is a common faith which is shared by all of the Somali people.

With these facts in mind, how can there be any individuals amongst us who genuinely believe that men may divide land that has been made unitary, by the Almighty, for the benefit of the Somali people? Furthermore, who amongst us can authentically define where the territorial limits of Somali land begin and end? It is time to take a good look at the current situation, and to re-calibrate the political machine that has patently failed the Somali people in recent decades. For too long, the hopelessly misguided and predominantly urbanised sections of Somali society, have neglected their political responsibility to preserve all that is vital to the ancient Somali way of life.

The most fundamental component of the Somali way of life is the preservation of the Somali national territory. Indeed, without the Somali national territory there could not exist the vibrant and robust cultural heritage of the Somali people. How has it come to pass that we, the Somali people, have come to abandon our right to protect our most precious of natural assets—our land—during recent times? What could be more important for the preservation of the Somali way of life than the full restoration of centralised Somali power? For too long now, we have depended on the intervention of the non-Somali world for our salvation. And, it is clear for all to see that such conduct can only lead to the ruin of a nation.

At a certain point in time, the Somali people shall learn to recognise the fact that the numerous foreign interventions, be they military in nature or otherwise, shall never serve the best interests of the Somali people. No foreign initiative can be considered an adequate substitute for a genuinely Somali solution to the security problems of modern day Somaliland. It is obvious now that the best solutions shall only come from within, and it is important for all Somalis to realise this idea. The Somali nation has a great opportunity if all Somali people—no matter where they are living in the world—ask themselves the question: Where is Somaliland? For this question serves as the portal through which reason can finally illuminate the darkness of modern Somali national politics.

Somaliland is a place where each and every Somali person, who has ever lived in this world, would recognise. Somaliland is where all Somali livestock has every found pasture, and where all Somali families have their roots. Somaliland is the place where all Somali poets have found their inspiration, and where all Somali warriors have sacrificed themselves for the benefit of their people. Somaliland is a place where Somali nomadic self-reliance is respected and Somali urban indolence is frowned upon. Somaliland is indivisible, and Somaliland is most certainly not a pseudo-Ethiopian protectorate.