Diplomatic Breakthrough with Self-Declared State Somaliland?|外交重大突破 傳"索馬利蘭"將派代表駐台


According to a foreign media report, self-declared African state Somaliland is planning to send a diplomatic representative to Taiwan to develop long-term relations. Somaliland does not have diplomatic relations with China, is not a member of the United Nations, and is not recognized by either the majority of countries or international organizations. Nevertheless, this is being hailed as a major breakthrough in Taiwan. One scholar says if the two sides do establish official diplomatic ties, China will try to obstruct it.


Self-declared African state Somaliland is reportedly planning to send a representative to Taiwan to establish diplomatic relations. Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Wang Ting-yu shared the news.

A Somaliland media report revealed their president has signed an order to send a representative to Taiwan.

According to the "Somaliland Chronicle," Somaliland and Taiwan have been developing a relationship for a while and Taiwan's government has sent a delegation to Somaliland. The Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps also made a short-term medical volunteer trip to Somaliland earlier this year and donated COVID-19 prevention supplies to the state. The Somali vice president thanked Taiwan on Twitter and tagged President Tsai Ing-wen and the ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the tweet.

Under the leadership of President Tsai Ing-wen, we are now a member of the world and are making great contributions. We also hope to make many new friends.

Somaliland lies in northwestern Somalia on the Horn of Africa with total area close to four times that of Taiwan. It declared independence from Somalia in 1991. As there are ongoing border and sovereignty disputes between Somalia and Somaliland, neither the vast majority of nations nor international organizations recognize Somaliland as an independent state. One expert says Somaliland has no diplomatic relations with other countries and is not a member of the United Nations. Therefore, it won't garner much attention if it establishes ties with the ROC.

This state is very close to Djibouti, where China has a military base. This means China may have strategic considerations and try to obstruct us.

China has expanded its economic presence in Africa in the last decade and provided aid to many African nations through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and Belt and Road Initiative. Nevertheless, the expert says China may try to obstruct the establishment of ties between the ROC and Somaliland.



台灣外交傳出有重大突破,非洲國家「索馬利蘭」總統比希,傳出將派遣代表駐台,和台灣發展長期關係,連民進黨立委王定宇也轉發相關消息。

民進黨立委 王定宇表示:「索馬利蘭的媒體報導,揭露他們的總統,親自簽署了,派任台灣駐台代表的文書。」

根據「索馬利蘭紀事報」報導,索馬利蘭和台灣已經發展關係一段時間,台灣政府高層曾派代表團到當地造訪。台灣醫療團體路竹會,也在今年初前往該國義診,近日更捐贈對抗武漢肺炎的醫療補給品。索國副總統也在Twitter上感謝台灣,並標註蔡英文總統和我國外交部。

行政院長 蘇貞昌表示:「在蔡總統領導下,做好我們做世界一員,我們做好貢獻,同時希望多交朋友。」

索馬利蘭位在「非洲之角」東北非、索馬利亞北部,1991年從索馬利亞宣布獨立,領土面積為台灣的3.8倍。但由於索馬利蘭與索馬利亞有領土及主權爭議,至今尚未獲絕大多數國家和國際組織正式承認,學者分析,索馬利蘭並未和中國、或其他國家有邦交,也沒有加入聯合國,和中國沒有利益衝突,因此派駐台代表消息曝光後,不擔心有見光死的問題。

政大國關中心教授 嚴震生表示:「因為這個國家,跟吉布地很接近,所以大陸,既然在吉布地有軍事基地的話,可能會在這一方面,有一些戰略的考量,會阻撓我們。」

由於中國近十幾年逐漸擴大在非洲經濟版圖的影響力,透過中非合作論壇和一帶一路倡議,提供非洲國家援助,營造中非友好合作大家庭景象,台灣和索馬利蘭發展關係,學者認為仍不可避免將遭受中國阻撓壓力。

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