The President of Somaliland, Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal, described the referendum as having made Somaliland into a nation and put an end to any question of reuniting with Somalia.[12] However, despite the support for independence demonstrated in the referendum, no nation has since recognised the independence of Somaliland,[2] due to fears over ever increasing numbers of unsustainable small states and the African Union's opposition to the splitting of existing states.[9][13]