The military Siad Barre dictatorship was overthrown in Somalia, and Somaliland immediately declared its independence and withdrew from the union with Somalia on May 18, 1991. Nearly three decades have passed since Somaliland proclaimed its independence, created its own government, maintained stability, and kept the peace. The world community has not, however, acknowledged its deed. The only remaining territory of the old Somali Republic that has managed to establish a democratic, stable government and long-lasting peace in the area is Somaliland. Somaliland, which, like other African nations, was previously a colony of the British Empire, claims it should be recognized as an independent state. The desk review and content analysis utilized in this paper's qualitative research methodology served as methods for gathering data. This essay examines the legal conceptions of statehood, from the Montevideo Convention to the more recent emphasis on self-determination, before turning to the situation of Somaliland and arguing that Somaliland merits statehood status and that other states should recognize it as such because there is no legal basis under international law for holding otherwise.

Keywords: Somaliland, statehood, recognition, international law