Somalia’s Veering toward Russia & China, Spotlights Somaliland for Reckoning
China and Somalia have had a friendly relationship for many years. In terms of political and economic relations, China has been one of Somalia’s key allies. China has offered Somalia a variety of services including infrastructure development, healthcare, and education.
China has increased its political and security involvement in Somalia in recent years. China has actively supported the African Union Mission in Somalia with military and logistical support during the peacekeeping operations in Somalia.
Overall, the relationship between Somalia and China has been characterized by mutual respect and cooperation. Both countries have expressed their commitment to strengthening their ties and working together to promote peace and development in the region.
As the US State Department is aware of Somalia’s deep ties to China and turned a blind eyes to that reality, Somalia further bravely chose to extend its other hand to Russia in order to forge military ties with it.
Somali diplomats said Friday that Russia had offered to help support Somalia’s armed forces in their battle against the al-Shabab terrorist group.
The diplomats, who asked for anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had made the offer during talks with his Somali counterpart, Abshir Omar Jama, in Moscow.
One diplomat said, “Russia was ready to provide Somalia’s army with military supplies, to strengthen the government fight against al-Shabab.”
The diplomats did not specify the kinds of materiel Russia was offering to Somalia, which is under a long-standing U.N. arms embargo.
The U.N. Security Council imposed the embargo in 1992 after the outbreak of civil war and factional violence. The embargo was partially lifted in 2013 to help Somalia’s security forces fight the Islamist militants.
Russia’s offer came hours after al-Shabab militants stormed a military base manned by African Union forces from Uganda in Bulo Marer, an agricultural town in the Lower Shabelle region, about 110 kilometers south of Mogadishu.
Earlier, at the opening of the talks between the two foreign ministers, Lavrov emphasized the long relationship between the two countries, which goes back to quick Soviet recognition of Somalia after it gained independence in 1960.
He also said he and Jama would discuss preparations for the Russia-Africa summit scheduled for late July in St. Petersburg.
Diplomatic relations
In modern times, Russia and Somalia have had fairly routine diplomatic relations, with Russia sending humanitarian aid to Somalia several times.
In May 2010, Somalia reacted angrily to the way Russian marines handled their rescue of a tanker, the MV Moscow University, that had been hijacked 560 kilometers off the coast of Yemen.
Russian media reported at the time that 10 Somali pirates, who had taken the tanker and its crew hostage, were released on the open sea because there were no grounds to prosecute them in Russia.
Somali authorities said the pirates never made it ashore and likely died at sea.
Somalia’s Foreign Ministry statement at the time warned that relations with Russia might be harmed over the incident and demanded an apology from the Russian government.
Since then, two Somali prime ministers, Omar Sharmarke and Hassan Ali Khaire, have met with top Russian officials requesting assistance to strengthen the Somali National Army.
In recent years, Somali diplomats, who asked for anonymity, told VOA Somali that the Russian military has been eyeing Berbera port, located in the breakaway republic of Somaliland, as a potential base on the Red Sea.
Last November, Russia, China, Gabon and Ghana abstained from a Security Council vote to maintain an arms embargo on Somalia, in support of Mogadishu’s strong objections. The United States and Britain supported maintaining the ban, although the measure did loosen restrictions on some weapons like portable surface-to-air missiles in recognition of the government’s improved oversight of weapons and munitions.
Somaliland is the alternative
The US has been focused on supporting the Federal Government of Somalia in its efforts to stabilize the country and combat terrorism by directing billions of dollars in US aid to establish an efficient government in Somalia.
Due to the factors mentioned iabove, Somalia is not a nation capable of putting American democracy’s values, priorities, and principles into practice., and It is about time for the United States to sit down with Somaliland Republic, which has repeatedly demonstrated its compatibility and commitment with America.
Somaliland is an independent sovereign state enjoying de facto recognition for the 32 years in a hostile troublesome region and still vying for its rightful place in the world nations.
In comparison to the rest of Somalia, Somaliland has been politically, economically, and developmentally stable, and the United States has acknowledged its efforts to preserve peace and stability in the region. The United States has supported the security forces in Somaliland and provided humanitarian aid to the region.
However, the two countries have collaborated on a variety of issues, including security and counterterrorism, and Somalia is drifting to American adversaries, so the US needs to expand its political engagement with Somaliland.