In this brief period, 35 countries, including Egypt, Israel, and the five Permanent Members of the Security Council, recognized Somaliland diplomatically (interestingly, Israel was the first to do so). If Somaliland’s imminent multi-party elections are reasonably fair and open, the outside world, including the AU and the United Nations, will need to reconsider its status, which has been fudged since the collapse of Siad Barre’s regime in 1991.