Abstract

This paper analyzes the political structure of Somaliland through Ibn Khaldun’s theory of ʿasabiyyah, focusing on the transformation of kinship-based solidarity into aggregated, bloc-based political formations. It argues that contemporary Somaliland politics reflects a shift from localized kinship structures toward centralized and geographically dispersed alliances that function as competitive political blocs. These transformations are reinforced by institutional features of electoral representation, particularly the absence of fully consolidated ward-based constituency mapping in urban centers such as Hargeisa. The paper further examines how bloc voting and informal political networks contribute to uneven representation across sub-districts, weakening the direct linkage between voters and representatives. While international engagement and diplomatic recognition efforts are symbolically significant, the analysis argues that long-term political stability depends primarily on internal institutional consolidation and the reconfiguration of ʿasabiyyah toward citizen-centered governance. The study concludes that Somaliland’s political trajectory reflects an ongoing negotiation between inherited social solidarity and modern state-building imperatives.

Keywords

Somaliland; ʿasabiyyah; Ibn Khaldun; electoral systems; bloc politics; kinship networks; informal institutions; political representation; state-building; Hargeisa

1. Introduction

Recent international engagement involving Israel and Somaliland has renewed domestic and regional debate regarding sovereignty, recognition, and state formation. For many Somalilanders, such diplomatic gestures are interpreted not merely as foreign policy developments........

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