So lightly has the birth of a new state on the map of the world been taken that it's almost abhorrent! Somalia as a state does not approve of Somaliland's self-declared independence and has now called upon the UN member states to condemn Israel's solitary recognition of Somaliland.

Though the UN recognises the right of peoples to self-determination, this stands opposite to the right of territorial integrity of existing sovereign states. Like this, in so many UN dictates, there are always self-defeating channels that allow the UN to be practically a freeway for looters. Every country has ethnic and linguistic diversities, and there are dissidents in every state. Just imagine if a province of your country declares independence, what would that mean for national integrity and state legitimacy?

Somalia has a harsh history. In colonial times it was sliced as French Somaliland, Italian Somaliland and British Somaliland. At independence in 1960, these units had different currencies, languages and allegiances. Though the people were united for a Greater Somalia, parts of which were cut into Kenya and Ethiopia by colonial drawing, internally there was a lot of dissidence and clan-politics. After Said Barre, in 1991, the country plunged into disunity. Foreign entities, under the guise of UN peacekeeping, supplied small arms to clan leaders, thus converting cities and districts into self-proclaimed autonomous regions, with practically no central authority. Later in 2003, Al Shabab, an affiliate of al Qaeda, emerged, spreading terror........

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