Sovereignty and national identity in Somaliland, assessing social, economic, and political livelihood in a contemporary de facto state.

摘要

The limited body of literature addressing the livelihood of citizens in de facto states presents questions of how inhabitants of these 'sovereignty limbo' spaces live their everyday lives. While previous research on de facto states has extensively documented the political processes in Taiwan and Palestine, this study weighs in on the lesser known state of Somaliland, a northern breakaway region of Somalia, and how its lack of formal recognition affects self-identity formation and the well-being of its citizens. Qualitative research was conducted through the use of interviews with a variety of self-identified Somalilanders. The findings illustrated a wide array of socio-economic hardships and political limitations attributed to their lack of official recognition. Conversely, the formation of nationalism in Somaliland appeared to be unaffected by the lack of sovereignty while perceptions of the sovereignty movement were highly varied along political grounds. This study shines light on the lives of those living in a contemporary de facto state and raises the question of how these unique states play a role in challenging traditional notions of state sovereignty.