Somaliland: Resource Extraction, Recognition for Sale
The pattern hiding in plain sight: FIRST INSTANCE: The Scramble for Africa (Late 19th Century) Between 1881 and 1914, European powers carved up Africa, often recognizing tribal leaders or local authorities as 'independent' entities only to then sign treaties granting exclusive mining or trade rights. The 1885 Berlin Conference formalized these divisions, with little regard for indigenous
sovereignty, leading to a continent-wide exploitation under the guise of 'development' (Hochschild, 1998). REPETITIONS: Cold War Resource Plays (Mid-20th Century) During the Cold War, both the US and USSR frequently supported specific factions or secessionist movements in resource-rich regions—Congo (Katanga province, 1960), Angola (oil, diamonds, 1975), and Afghanistan (minerals, 1979)—in
exchange for strategic allegiances or resource control. These interventions prolonged conflicts and deepened dependency, with recognition often contingent on favorable trade terms. For instance, the US-backed Mobutu Sese Seko in Congo (now DRC) from 1965, a leader whose regime facilitated Western access to vast mineral wealth (cobalt, copper, diamonds) in exchange for political and financial
support, despite widespread human rights abuses (Schatzberg, 1988). The recognition of his government was directly linked to the stability he provided for resource extraction. In 1975, the US provided covert support to UNITA in Angola, largely due to concerns over MPLA's Soviet ties and its potential to nationalize Angola's significant oil and diamond industries (Crocker, 1992). OUTCOMES: