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The tragic events in Borama, Awdal region of Somaliland, involving clashes between demonstrators and security forces, underscore a critical test for the government’s commitment to democratic principles and peaceful governance. While specific details of the incident involving President Abdirahman Irro’s administration vary in reporting, any incident where the state uses lethal force against its own citizens during a protest raises serious questions about the adherence to international standards for crowd control and the fundamental right to peaceful assembly.
The core diplomatic failure, in such scenarios, is the apparent prioritization of military intervention over de-escalation and political dialogue. A constructive government response, aiming to calm tensions and preserve the lives of its citizens, would typically explore several non-violent and communication-based strategies.
Diplomatic Alternatives to Military Force
A responsible government, in the face of civil unrest, has a range of diplomatic and political tools that should be fully exhausted before the deployment of force, particularly lethal force.
1. Immediate De-escalation and Command Review
The most crucial step is a swift de-escalation. The government of Abdirahman Irro could have immediately:
- Mandated the withdrawal of all military units not specifically trained for non-lethal crowd control, replacing them with police (or other forces) equipped only with non-lethal gear. This signals a commitment to dialogue over confrontation.
- Publicly confirmed or reinforced strict rules of engagement prohibiting the use of live ammunition against unarmed civilians, ensuring all security personnel understood the penalty for violating these orders.
2. Proactive and Transparent Political Dialogue
The underlying grievances of the protestors—whether related to Xeer Ciise or otherwise—must be addressed directly.
- Dispatched respected Elders, religious leaders, or impartial government ministers to the area for direct, face-to-face talks with protest organizers and local community leaders.
- Issued a televised or radio address from President Irro or a senior representative, acknowledging the citizens’ right to protest and committing to a timeline for addressing their concerns.
- Offered to suspend or reconsider the controversial policy (e.g., the Xeer Ciise )that sparked the unrest, pending a period of structured, inclusive public consultation.
3. Building Trust through Accountability
The use of force, even if deemed necessary by authorities, must be followed by immediate and independent investigation to maintain public trust.
- Immediately announced the formation of a fully independent investigative commission composed of legal experts and respected civil society representatives to determine how and why lethal force was used, and to identify those responsible.
- Publicly expressed sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and injured, alongside a commitment to provide immediate medical assistance and financial compensation. This demonstrates the state values the lives of its citizens.
The Primacy of Peaceful Assembly
The use of military force against civilian protestors fundamentally undermines the democratic contract between a government and its people. While governments are obliged to maintain public order, this responsibility is balanced by the necessity to uphold the fundamental rights of its citizens, including the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
In the context of the Borama unrest, the more prudent and diplomatic approach would have been a strategy rooted in patience, negotiation, and non-violence. Such a response not only avoids a tragic loss of life but also strengthens the nation’s democratic institutions and its long-term stability—a crucial factor in Somaliland’s ongoing quest for international recognition. The cost of shedding citizen blood is always higher than the cost of prolonged political negotiation.
Somaliland’s entire argument for statehood rests on its claim of being a stable, democratic, and secure entity distinct from the turbulence of Somalia. An incident like the one in Boramadirectly undermines this foundational narrative in the eyes of the international community, particularly Western liberal democracies whose support is crucial for recognition.
Key Diplomatic Setbacks from the Incident
1. Erosion of the “Democratic and Stable” Narrative
Somaliland has consistently presented itself as a model of democracy and stability in the Horn of Africa, citing its regular elections and peaceful transfers of power.
- The use of military force to suppress domestic political dissent, resulting in civilian casualties, provides evidence that the government is willing to use authoritarian tactics against its own people.
- This undermines the perception of the state’s legitimacy and democratic maturity, making it harder for foreign ministries to justify recognition on the grounds of shared democratic values. International partners prioritize the protection of human rights and the right to peaceful assembly as prerequisites for full state recognition.
2. Fueling Internal Instability and Unity Concerns
The violence, especially if linked to regional or clan-based grievances in Awdal, highlights deep-seated internal tensions and a failure of central government control.
- A major argument against recognizing Somaliland is the risk of further fragmentation of Somalia. Incidents like the one in Boorama—which can be seen as an expression of regional discontent with the Hargeisa government—strengthen the counter-argument that Somaliland does not have the definitive and effective control over all its claimed territory.
- Foreign governments will be hesitant to grant recognition to a state facing active internal political conflict and potentially escalating clan-based unrest, seeing it as a source of regional instability rather than a solution.
3. The Human Rights and Accountability Lens
International recognition often hinges on a country’s adherence to international law and human rights standards.
- The incident invites international scrutiny from human rights organizations and foreign governments. Failure by the Abdirahman Irro government to conduct a swift, transparent, and independent investigation into the killings—with clear accountability for those who ordered or carried out the use of excessive force—will be viewed as impunity.
- Donors and partners may suspend or redirect assistance to Hargeisa, or impose travel restrictions on officials involved, as a means of pressuring the government to improve its human rights record.
4. Weaponization by Somalia and Regional Rivals
The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and regional actors opposed to Somaliland’s independence will use this incident as direct evidence to lobby against recognition.
- The FGS can point to the violence as proof that Somaliland’s stability is an illusion and that its government is oppressive and divisive. This provides a strong narrative for maintaining the existing African Union (AU) and UN policy of upholding the territorial integrity of the Somali Republic.
- Furthermore, regional geopolitical rivals may exploit the instability in Awdal, which sits on the border, to complicate Somaliland’s foreign policy maneuvering, such as its strategic agreements with Ethiopia or other partners.
In short, every civilian death from state violence is a severe diplomatic wound. For a de facto state like Somaliland, whose legitimacy is not yet secured, these incidents fatally weaken its most powerful diplomatic tools: its democratic credentials and its reputation for peace.
To mitigate the severe diplomatic damage caused by the use of lethal force against demonstrators in Boorama, Somaliland must execute a swift, multi-faceted strategy focused on accountability, internal political healing, and the reaffirmation of democratic governance. This is necessary to restore the confidence of international partners, whose support is vital for recognition.
The overall strategy must pivot back to Somaliland’s core diplomatic narrative: stability, democracy, and respect for human rights.
Immediate Measures for Accountability and Transparency
The most urgent requirement is to address the human rights violations transparently and credibly, demonstrating that the government operates under the rule of law.
- Establish a High-Level, Independent Investigative Commission: The President must immediately form a commission to investigate the events, comprising respected figures from outside the government bureaucracy, such as senior traditional elders, legal experts, and civil society leaders (including human rights advocates).
- Mandate: The commission must be tasked with determining the precise chain of command, whether security forces adhered to established rules of engagement, and identifying all individuals responsible for ordering or carrying out the use of lethal force.
- Public Reporting: Commit to making the commission’s findings and recommendations public within a defined, short timeline.
- Prosecute and Discipline Responsible Personnel: Based on the commission’s findings, the government must move quickly to prosecute any security personnel, regardless of rank, found to have used excessive or unlawful force. This public commitment to ending impunity is the single most critical step in restoring international trust.
- Offer Comprehensive Restitution: Publicly and formally issue official apologies to the families of the victims and injured. Provide immediate financial compensation and cover all medical expenses. This act demonstrates that the state accepts responsibility and values its citizens’ lives.
Internal Political Healing and Inclusivity
The Boramaevents highlight deep-rooted grievances of marginalization in the Awdal region. Diplomatic mitigation requires solving this internal political crisis.
- Renew Dialogue with Regional Leaders: Engage in sincere, high-level dialogue with the political and traditional leaders of the Awdal region. This dialogue must focus on addressing the core grievances that sparked the unrest (e.g., representation, resource allocation, or local cultural issues like the Xeer Ciise book launch controversy).
- Constitutional and Administrative Review: Launch a credible process to review the constitutional and administrative structures to ensure equitable political representation and fair distribution of power and resources across all regions, particularly in areas like Awdal that feel marginalized.
- Prioritize National Unity Rhetoric: The President and senior government officials must consistently use language that prioritizes national unity and the right to peaceful dissent, explicitly rejecting any attempts to politicize the violence along clan lines.
Diplomatic Re-engagement
Once internal steps are underway, the government must proactively re-engage with its international partners to explain the corrective measures.
- Direct Diplomatic Briefings: Dispatch special envoys, led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to key foreign capitals (e.g., London, Washington D.C., Addis Ababa, and Brussels) to provide direct, detailed briefings on the incident, the findings of the investigation, and the specific actions taken for accountability and reconciliation.
- Invite Human Rights Monitoring: To demonstrate transparency, formally invite UN human rights monitors or AU observers to Somaliland to assess the investigation and the implementation of security sector reforms related to crowd control.
- Recommit to the Democratic Path: Highlight the peaceful resolution of the political crisis that followed the incident (e.g., the withdrawal of military forces and the decision to postpone or reverse the controversial action) as evidence that Somaliland’s democratic institutions ultimately prevailed over confrontation.
By focusing on concrete, verifiable acts of accountability and genuine political reform, Somaliland can attempt to redefine the narrative, proving to the international community that the Borama incident was a tragic, but isolated, failure of command, not a systemic failure of its democratic foundation.
About the Author
Hon. Mohamed Hussein Jama (Rambo). Member, House of Representatives, Somaliland Parliament
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions or perspectives of Somaliland Chronicle and its staff.
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