Subhead:A retired activist, who has seen it all, explains how peace and tradition shaped the nation’s resilience.#
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In the Horn of Africa, I spoke with Amina Mohamoud Warsame, a retired civil society activist, who reflected on Somaliland’s turbulent history and its path toward becoming a stable democracy despite decades without international recognition.
Warsame described growing up during the British colonial period and later witnessing Somaliland’s union with Somalia under Siad Barre’s rule. She said the nation’s history was marked by oppression and violence, but also by a strong collective determination to rebuild.
“The secret is people,” she told me. “We have been oppressed so much … people came back from refugee camps with one understanding; they didn’t want anything to do with revenge. They wanted peace.”
She explained that the liberation movement made a conscious decision to move forward without settling old scores. The choice to forgive, she said, helped prevent further chaos after the country’s violent struggles. “If we had returned harm to poor people, it could have been a disaster for us.”
Traditional clan leadership also played a major role in stabilising the country. Warsame described a form of what she called pastoral democracy, where men historically debated issues with relatively flat social hierarchies. “Everyone had a say,” she said, noting that young and older men alike could express opinions and influence community decisions.
Education has slowly transformed society. When formal schooling was first introduced, many families were suspicious of modern education. Over time, however, attitudes shifted as people recognised the economic and social benefits. Today, women can attend university without major barriers, though access can still be limited in poorer rural regions.
