Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

Somaliland Bans BBC Over Failure To Recognize The State

Collins Ogutu | 1 year ago
Somaliland Bans BBC Over Failure To Recognize The State
Somaliland Bans BBC Over Failure To Recognize The State

Somalia's breakaway region, Somaliland, on Tuesday banned the BBC from operating in its territory, citing the British public broadcaster's refusal to recognise the territory as a democratic republic.

Somaliland Information Minister, Saleeban Yuusuf Ali accused the broadcaster of undermining the credibility of the Somaliland state.

"After 31 years of our independence and holding three parliamentary elections with five presidents elected to office, the BBC still uses the words that Somaliland people do not deserve to hear,"  Saleeban Yuusuf told a news conference in the capital, Hargaisa.

According to the Minister of Information, the BBC has shunned its neutrality and has become biased towards the region.

"As of today, Tuesday, July 19, I have decided to suspend or ban the BBC from operating in Somaliland," Yuusuf said.

Previously known as British Somaliland, it merged with Italian Somaliland in 1960 to create the Somali Republic. But after the fall of Somalia’s Siad Barre’s regime in 1991, Somaliland declared unilateral independence. 

It has gone on to form its own successive governments, a central bank, an army and a police force but has received no international recognition.

The Somaliland government has previously suspended BBC Somali, VOA Somali, and other media organisations after accusing them of denying Somaliland’s self-declared independence.

There was no immediate comment issued from  BBC in response to the allegations of describing Somaliland a "self-declared republic." 

Somaliland projects itself as a comparatively calm and stable partner in the tempestuous Horn of Africa region, where Somalia has been battling al-Shabab militants for more than a decade and neighboring Ethiopia has been caught up in civil war since November 2020.

Somaliland leader Muse Bihi on his first official tour of the US, said Somaliland no longer feels a part of the “Greater Somalia.”

In 2021, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta  hosted the political leadership from Somaliland. This dwindled the diplomatic ties between Kenya and Somalia.

Mogadishu cut off diplomatic relations and accused Nairobi of meddling in its internal affairs.

Kenya, however consistently denied meddling and instead accused former president of Somali Mohamed Farmaajo of using it as a scapegoat to score political points at home.

Related Stories