Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Somaliland Press cites my 2002 analysis

An article posted today in Somalilandpress titled "Impose Naval Blockade On Somaliland, But Not On Alshabaab Terrorists" cites my 2002 analysis "Somaliland: the Little Country that Could" (PDF version via CSIS' Africa Notes) and calls me and Prof. Iqbal Jhazbhay "real pundits of Africa." My article explained that the former British Somaliland had made considerable political and economic progress since it declared independence in 1991. It had held free and fair elections and ended internal conflict. Unrecognized by any other country, it had also established a functioning government. Although I left (and still leave) the issue of political recognition to the African Union, I urged that the international donor community do more to acknowledge Somaliland's success by increasing development assistance.