Publications /
Policy Brief

Back
Somaliland and the Great Powers
Authors
April 26, 2022

As China’s presence has expanded into the Horn of Africa, Somaliland has opted to distance itself from Beijing and presented itself as a democratic ally of the West – and Taiwan. On March 17, 2022, three Republican Congressmen introduced a bill titled the “Somaliland Partnership Act,” requiring the American Secretary of State to submit annual reports to Congress on assistance provided to Somaliland and conduct a feasibility study on establishing a security partnership with Somaliland. The goal is Washington’s recognition of the territory “as a separate and independent country.” This piece examines Somaliland’s emergence as a de facto state, an entity that has gradually acquired “empirical sovereignty,” but not “juridical sovereignty.”

RELATED CONTENT

  • Authors
    April 29, 2020
    Kim Jong-un, the dictator of North Korea, disappeared from public view after an appearance at a Workers' Party politburo meeting on April 11. The unpredictable leader did not appear to celebrate the anniversary of his grandfather’s birthday four days later, an important holiday for the nation. Then Mr Kim missed Military Foundation Day, on which he usually honors the military, the foundation of his absolute power. Rumors began to spread. The dictator was gravely ill, possibly dying. ...
  • Authors
    April 9, 2020
    Our Senior Fellow, Len Ishmael has contributed to the Quarterly Journal by Beyond the Horizon ISSG (Volume 3 Issue 1), under the theme « Influencing and Promoting Global Peace and Security Horizon Insights », with a Policy Paper where she addresses China’s use of crises to « deepen and extend power and influence in Europe and the world ». Standing in solidarity with countries in Europe and elsewhere in the fight against COVID-19, China scores a diplomatic coup and extends its claim ...
  • February 20, 2020
    Le lancement et la conduite de toute négociation ne dépendent pas seulement des positions des parties, de leur volonté de faire des concessions et, éventuellement, du talent du médiateur. De la même manière qu’ils ne dépendent pas, uniquement, du règlement des questions de procédure et de l’adoption d’arrangements techniques destinés à contourner les objections préalables des parties, à ménager leurs sensibilités et à leur faire accepter un code de conduite adapté à chaque phase des ...
  • Authors
    Hajar El Alaoui
    January 16, 2020
    Les investissements japonais en Afrique sont en plein essor. Ils sont passés de 758 millions de dollars, en 2000, à 7,8 milliards en 2017, fruit de la présence sur le continent de près de 796 entreprises nippones. Troisième puissance économique et deuxième puissance industrielle mondiale, après la Chine et les Etats-Unis, le Japon est le cinquième donateur mondial en matière d’aide bilatérale à l’Afrique. Malgré sa discrétion et la compétition des autres puissances étrangères présen ...
  • Authors
    January 15, 2020
    “The Nightmare we feared has arrived” Death was late because the departure time of the plane was delayed. But death arrived- six minutes after takeoff from Tehran’s “Imam Khomeini International Airport. It was still dark, 6.12 hours’ local time, when flight 752 of “Ukraine International Airlines” took course toward Kyiv, the Ukraine capital three hours and fourty two minutes away. The Boeing 737 800 NG had reached 2400 meters, when the American military’s “Space Based Infrared Syst ...
  • Authors
    Osama El Mourabit
    November 29, 2019
    During the past few years, the different global ongoing events have left us baffled and astonished. Given the decreasing ability to understand and assimilate the amount of changes, mutations, and crises, one would wonder: what happened to the global order? How has -in this short period of time- the power of its values and institutions that much decreased? What are the causes for these protectionist and massive populist waves? Why are we witnessing an increasing settlement of conflic ...
  • Authors
    Samuel Arnaud
    October 28, 2019
    Africa, as a continent of economic opportunities, is attracting foreign players. In this context, India is emerging as an important partner, especially for Eastern and Southern Africa. The complexity of its geopolitical environment combined with internal specificities motivated the revival of interest for the continent. This paper draws on historical developments between India and African countries to provide the state of play of recent linkages. Those trends are better perceived th ...
  • Authors
    Mehmet Öğütçü
    October 21, 2019
    Decades of rapid economic growth have dramatically expanded China’s energy needs. The magnitudes are impressive. China is now the world’s largest consumer of energy, the largest producer and consumer of coal, and the largest emitter of carbon dioxide. It is increasingly looking toward securing its future energy needs with sustainable alternatives. China has also become the world’s largest producer, exporter and installer of solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, electric vehicles, ...
  • Authors
    October 4, 2019
    Massive and sometimes violent protests have been setting the pace in Hong Kong for over 100 days. Demonstrators have put forward five demands, amongst which a democratic system of local rule, not controlled by Beijing.  Below is an international press review of the Hong Kong political crisis by Helmut Sorge, former Foreign editor, and Middle East expert for Germany's leading newsmagazine "Der Spiegel", and columnist at the Policy Center for the New South.    Ta Kung Pao, a Hong Kon ...
  • October 3, 2019
    There is no doubt that China's 70th Anniversary celebration was the display of a new world superpower. From the military parade to the issuance of a paper reporting China's role in the New Era, it is clear that the country, whose current political system was established on 1 October 1949, is much different, more assertive and with a clear perspective of the role it wants to play in the international scenario. Everywhere in Beijing, the Chinese National Anthem was played, reminding t ...