Maxwell Webb’S Piece on Atlantic Council Missed Somaliland’s Pivotal Role in the Region
The article titled “Nine months later: The regional implications of the Ethiopia-Somaliland MOU” authored by Maxwell Webb and published by the Atlantic Council, misses a crucial element by neglecting Somaliland’s pivotal role in the region.
While the author attempts to analyze the involvement of actors like Djibouti, Turkey, Egypt and Al Shabab, Somaliland’s strategic importance is notably underplayed, despite being the primary signatory alongside Ethiopia. The piece also overlooks Somaliland’s position and control of the strategic waterway of the Gulf of Aden and its consistent political stability—factors that should have been central to this analysis.
Somaliland clearly stands in stark contrast to Mogadishu, which, despite international recognition, remains stuck in instability and state failure. Somaliland continues to flourish, with democratic elections—its fourth, scheduled for November, showcasing a commitment to democracy, governance and progress.
The MoU between Ethiopia and Somaliland is not just a diplomatic agreement but a forward-looking partnership aimed at shared prosperity, growth, and regional stability—a point the author fails to emphasize enough.
Moreover, Mogadishu’s tantrums on this MoU is seen by many as a distraction from its numerous domestic failures and impending collapse after years of international community support.
While Mogadishu teeters on failure, Somaliland is taking concrete steps toward long-term development and stability.
The author, despite overwhelming evidence, overlooks Somaliland’s emergence as a stable partner in the Horn of Africa and overemphasizes the role of Somalia, thereby reducing the article’s impact.
In short, Somaliland’s vision for the future aspirations and its centrality to regional growth deserved a much stronger focus. This would have provided a more accurate and comprehensive view of the significance of the MoU for the two nations involved.
In conclusion, this article reminded me of a college professor of mine who would grade assignments with a “W.” When pressed for clarification, he would respond with, “Too many words, not enough substance.”
Roda J Elmi
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister
Somaliland