Somaliland: The Morality of Secession

Abstract

This study aims to understand if the de facto secession of Somaliland from Somalia in 1991 can be considered morally just according to just secession theory. This theory follows the approach of Allen Buchanan and Wayne Norman and their formulation of just cause theory of secession. The theory is based on the Just War tradition, which provides the moral foundation for its arguments. This study takes a qualitative normative approach by applying the moral theory upon the case of Somaliland. Six established criteria of just secession are used to analyze the moral justifications of Somaliland’s secession. The result of the study suggest that Somaliland has strong moral grounds for its secession, and that its lack of recognition is mainly based on geopolitical factors rather than moral or legal factors.