Standing on the docks of Berbera on the Gulf of Aden, it quickly becomes clear why this quiet port town sits at the centre of a much larger geopolitical conversation.

I travelled to Somaliland as part of my reporting mission for Rebel News, aiming to uncover what the truth about a functioning democracy that the world has largely ignored for more than three decades. On the ground in Berbera, I spoke with Maftouh, a local port worker who believes international recognition is long overdue.

“Somaliland reclaimed its sovereignty in 1991 from the Somali state,” Maftouh explained as ships moved through the busy harbour behind us. “In more than three decades, we built our own government, our own economy and our own military infrastructure,” he said. “And more importantly, we built peace and stability.”

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia after the collapse of the Somali government in 1991. Since then, it has operated with its own political institutions, elections and security forces, though it remains largely unrecognised internationally.

For Maftouh, the port of Berbera is one of the clearest examples of what Somaliland has managed to achieve.

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“Berbera port is a strategic location in the Gulf of Aden where 30 per cent of global trade passes,” he said.

The port has undergone a major transformation over the past decade after international investment helped expand and modernise the facility. According to Maftouh, the changes have turned it into a key logistics hub for the region.

“We now have an additional 400-metre quay and some of the latest equipment in the port,” he said.

But the significance of Berbera extends beyond shipping lanes. Maftouh says its location makes it a critical gateway to landlocked Ethiopia, one of Africa’s largest and fastest-growing markets.

“We also have the Berbera corridor, which connects Somaliland and Ethiopia ... 120 million consumers,” he said.

To supporters of Somaliland’s independence, that economic potential is exactly why Western governments should take the territory more seriously.

When I asked Maftouh what message he would send to Western leaders watching this report, his answer was direct. “If the leaders of the West could watch this now, we would say to them: please follow the same path that Israel did,” he said.

He believes recognition would not just benefit Somaliland, but also its international partners.

“Since the United States is one of the greatest countries on the face of Earth, we would like to have a mutual benefit for both nations,” Maftouh said. “And get the recognition of Somaliland.”

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