Independence Interrupted: Somaliland’s Brief Sovereignty Before the Somali Union!

On 24 June 1960, The London Gazette published a formal proclamation by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II terminating British protection over the Somaliland Protectorate. It marked the end of colonial rule and affirmed Somaliland’s full sovereignty effective 26 June 1960—making it the first Somali-speaking territory to gain independence.

This declaration, signed under royal authority and published by the British government, is a foundational legal instrument in Somaliland’s modern claim to recognition. Despite its often-overlooked significance, it provides a clear precedent: Somaliland was once a fully sovereign state, and its status was acknowledged under international law.

“Now, therefore, We do hereby… proclaim and declare that… Our protection over the territories known as the Somaliland Protectorate shall cease…”

— The London Gazette, No. 42074, 24 June 1960

Legal Clarity on Sovereignty

The 1960 proclamation ended all treaties, agreements, and administrative authority between Britain and Somaliland. It confirmed that no foreign power retained jurisdiction, and that the Somaliland people now held the right to self-determination under international law.

Importantly, this proclamation predated the union with Somalia. That union, which occurred on 1 July 1960, was not based on any formal or ratified legal treaty. The two parts of Somalia—British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland—united hastily and under separate legislative acts. No unifying constitutional framework was in place at the time of union.

As a result, legal scholars and historical records have since described the merger as unconstitutional and politically improvised—a view that strengthens the argument for Somaliland’s right to withdraw from the union and restore its sovereign status.

Diplomatic Recognition and the Question of Continuity.

Upon gaining independence, Somaliland was recognized by over 30 countries, including the United Kingdom, Egypt, and the United States. This brief period of sovereign statehood is not symbolic—it is legally binding. Under international law, recognition of statehood is irreversible unless the state dissolves or is lawfully absorbed into another entity. Neither occurred in Somaliland’s case.

The voluntary union with Somalia failed to meet the requirements of legal merger. Instead, it ushered in a centralization process that led to authoritarian rule, marginalization, and ultimately civil war. In 1991, Somaliland unilaterally withdrew from the failed union, citing its original sovereign status and the lack of any binding agreement.

This act, framed not as secession but as reassertion of sovereignty, is rooted in the legal precedent established on 24 June 1960.

The Relevance Today

More than six decades later, Somaliland operates as a de facto state with defined borders, democratic institutions, a stable currency, a functional legal system, and independent foreign policy. Yet, it remains de jure unrecognized, largely due to African Union political sensitivities and outdated Cold War-era assumptions about borders.

However, the legal foundations remain intact. The 1960 British proclamation demonstrates that:

• Somaliland had legitimate international sovereignty before the union;
• The union lacked legal ratification, and was based on aspiration, not formal treaty;
• Withdrawal from that union is within Somaliland’s legal rights under international law.

In short, Somaliland does not need to justify its statehood—it simply needs the world to honor a legal reality that has existed since June 1960.

Conclusion.

As Somaliland continues its international outreach and campaigns for formal recognition, it does so not as a separatist movement, but as a sovereign state reasserting its independence—first recognized and documented by the British Crown itself.

The words written at the end of the London Gazette’s 1960 proclamation ring truer today than ever:

“God Save The Queen.”

And now, rightfully:

God Save Somaliland.