why does somaliland want independence

Somaliland wants independence mainly because many people there feel they were once a separate state, suffered severe repression in the union with Somalia, and have since built their own relatively stable political system that they want recognized as fully sovereign.

Historical roots

• The territory was a British protectorate (British Somaliland) until 1960, while the south was under Italian rule, creating different colonial institutions and identities.

• British Somaliland became independent on 26 June 1960 as the State of Somaliland and then voluntarily united days later with the former Italian territory to form the Somali Republic, a “union” that many in the north later felt was rushed and poorly structured.

Disappointment with the union

• Early on, northerners complained of marginalization in politics, resources, and development, and a 1961 constitutional referendum was largely rejected in the north, signaling dissatisfaction with the new state.

• Northern officers even attempted a coup in 1961, which Somalilanders now cite as evidence that serious doubts about the union existed from the very beginning.

War, repression, and trauma

• Under Siad Barre’s military dictatorship (from 1969), the dominant Isaaq clan in the north faced harsh repression, economic warfare, and large‑scale human rights abuses, pushing many into armed resistance.

• The Somali National Movement (SNM), founded in 1981, fought a decade-long war against the regime; bombardment of cities like Hargeisa and mass atrocities left a strong collective memory that “going back” to rule from Mogadishu is seen as unsafe.

1991 “restoration” of sovereignty

• When Barre’s regime collapsed and Somalia slid into civil war, northern clan elders and SNM leaders met at the Burao conferences in April–May 1991 and declared the “restoration” of the Republic of Somaliland within the borders of the former British protectorate.

• In their own narrative, this was not a new secessionist project but a revocation of a voluntary union that had failed, similar to ending a marriage that no longer works.

Desire for stability and self-rule

• Somalilanders point to having built functioning institutions—elections, a hybrid traditional–modern political system, a separate currency, and their own security forces—as proof they can govern themselves better than a still-fragile federal Somalia.

• Many argue that independence is the best way to preserve hard‑won local peace and stability in a region otherwise marked by conflict and state collapse.

Ongoing debate and latest context

• Internationally, no country formally recognizes Somaliland yet, largely because the African Union and many states fear opening the door to other secessionist claims on the continent.

• Recent debate has intensified as some analysts suggest major powers, including the United States under President Donald Trump, could move toward recognizing Somaliland, while others warn about human rights concerns and regional fallout.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.