Author: Ahmed J. Yassin

The Curious Absence of Somaliland from The AU Summit 2020

It is famously noted that the African Union (AU) summit is an opportunity for demagogues and dictators of the continent to come together and congratulate each other for surviving yet another year at the helm of pyramids of oppression that subject their people to all forms of political, social, and economic Continue reading “The Curious Absence of Somaliland from The AU Summit 2020”

Nation Building: The State of Intellectualism in Somaliland

Another year will soon come to an end in the life of the Somaliland Nation, so what are we to make of it? Let me begin by saying that, for some, Somaliland has taken a step or two backwards in many ways.  After all, the nation is still not internationally recognized, the quality of the nation’s fledgling democracy Continue reading “Nation Building: The State of Intellectualism in Somaliland”

Forgiving Somalia’s Debt is an Abuse of US Taxpayers

President Trump campaigned against unnecessary U.S. commitments and publicly called out wasteful aid spending. Why, then, is he prepared to bail out Somalia, rated by Transparency International to be the world’s most corrupt country for more than a decade, to the tune of $1 billion in U.S. taxpayer funds? Continue reading “Forgiving Somalia’s Debt is an Abuse of US Taxpayers”

U.S. Africa Policy Cannot Afford Ignoring Somaliland

“Great nations do not fight endless wars,” President Donald Trump declared in his State of the Union address, even as he redoubled his commitment to “focus on counter-terrorism.” While many commentators describe Afghanistan—the war against which Trump railed—as America’s longest war, the battle against terrorists and warlords in Somalia has now run even longer. Continue reading “U.S. Africa Policy Cannot Afford Ignoring Somaliland”

Traditional Governance & Modern State in Somaliland

Much analysis of state building focuses on dissecting specific projects and attempting to identify what has gone ‘wrong’ in states such as Afghanistan and Iraq.What draws less attention is what has gone ‘right’ in non-interventionist state building projects within ‘unrecognized’ states. Continue reading “Traditional Governance & Modern State in Somaliland”

Somaliland People’s Right to Self-Determination

The primary emergence of the principle of self-determination was materialized after the First World War (Shaw, 2003). It is possible to say that; self-determination was “the benchmark for peacemakers at Versailles”. The President of the United States of America Woodrow Wilson described the national self-determination as “an imperative principle of action” (Henry & Philip, 2000) . Continue reading “Somaliland People’s Right to Self-Determination”