In Defence of Democracy, We Believe In
By Prof. Nassir Hussein Kahin.
The Chinese Embassy in Mogadishu has spoken. Again. This time, it is wagging its long diplomatic finger at U.S. Senator Ted Cruz for daring to state the obvious: Somaliland deserves recognition. In the same breath, it lumped Somaliland together with Taiwan, accusing Washington of interfering in the “internal affairs” of both Somalia and China.
The message was loud, but not exactly new. Beijing’s script rarely changes: repeat “One China” “One Somalia” often enough, declare Taiwan a “runaway province”, insist Somaliland is a “breakaway region,” and then, for dramatic effect, warn the world of “hegemonic interference.”
The only problem? Somaliland and Taiwan have survived worse than press releases. They are democracies born in defiance of bullies, and they know how to laugh when authoritarians roar.
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Somaliland: The Country That Refused to Vanish
Let’s start in Hargeisa. Somaliland was once independent in 1960 — recognized by more than 35 countries — before voluntarily joining Somalia in the spirit of Pan-Somalism. It turned out to be a union of dreams and nightmares. After a decade of dictatorship and a genocidal war that reduced Hargeisa to rubble, Somaliland walked out in 1991.
Since then? Peaceful transfers of power, elections observed by international monitors, a government that actually collects taxes and provides services, and one of the most stable corners of the Horn of Africa.
Contrast that with Mogadishu, where political leaders spend most of their time locked inside fortified villas, issuing “roadmaps” to one-man-one vote elections that somehow never arrive on schedule (1991-2025). Yet Beijing, perched inside its heavily guarded embassy in Mogadishu, believes it has the moral authority to lecture Somaliland on sovereignty.
The irony drips like a leaky roof in the rainy season.
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Taiwan: The Island That Refused to Bow
Then there’s Taiwan. A vibrant democracy, a technological powerhouse, and the home of the semiconductors that make even Beijing’s smartphones and surveillance cameras work.
Taiwan is called a “renegade province” by the People’s Republic of China. But if Taiwan is merely a province, then democracy must be a local superstition, because Taipei holds elections every four years with a voter turnout that would make many Western democracies blush.
In Beijing’s logic, Taiwan is not a country because it refuses to obey. And Somaliland is not a country because it refused to die. Funny how the most compelling evidence of statehood is the very reason Beijing pretends it doesn’t exist.
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The Cruz Factor: Why Beijing is Nervous
Senator Ted Cruz’s letter urging recognition of Somaliland was hardly the beginning of some grand conspiracy. It simply put in writing what many U.S. and European officials have whispered for years: Somaliland has earned its seat at the international table.
But Beijing reacted as if Cruz had personally driven a tank through Tiananmen Square. Outrage poured forth, warnings of foreign meddling echoed across diplomatic wires, and accusations of “hegemonic bullying” filled embassy statements.
This is not really about Cruz. It’s about Beijing’s fear. Because every time Somaliland is mentioned alongside Taiwan, the world is reminded of a dangerous truth: sovereignty does not come from slogans or threats — it comes from legitimacy, stability, and the will of the people.
And that is something China cannot control.
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Democracy With a Sense of Humor
The most dangerous weapon Somaliland and Taiwan possess is not military hardware or economic sanctions. It is democracy with a sense of humor.
When Beijing thunders, Taiwan holds another election. When Mogadishu sneers, Somaliland counts its votes and hands power peacefully to the next leader.
Meanwhile, diplomats in Beijing still spend their nights drafting communiqués insisting that what already exists — functioning states with borders, governments, and parliaments — does not exist. It is like watching someone argue furiously that the sun doesn’t shine while sweating in 35-degree heat.
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Why Intimidation and Threats Fail
Here’s the irony Beijing doesn’t like to admit: the more it bullies Somaliland and Taiwan, the stronger their case becomes. The harder it tries to erase them, the more visible they become.
Somaliland and Taiwan are not demanding recognition because of U.S. senators or foreign letters. They are demanding recognition because they already live it. They govern themselves, run their own economies, defend their borders, and practice democracy. Recognition is not the beginning of their sovereignty — it is the world finally catching up to reality.
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Final Word: Democracies Don’t Flinch
So when the Chinese Embassy in Mogadishu delivers yet another warning, Somaliland and Taiwan don’t flinch. They don’t hide. They laugh, politely, and get back to the business of being democracies.
Because intimidation works only on those who have something to fear. And Somaliland and Taiwan, against all odds, have already built something that intimidation cannot erase: legitimacy born of their people’s will.
The Dragon may continue roar as usual. But in Hargeisa and Taipei, the reply is simple and steady:
“We are too busy building democracies to tremble at fairy tales.”
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