#Somaliland and Taiwan Relations

[indecisiveavocado]

my long overdue intro post

I post mostly about Jewish stuff, including antisemitism and Israel. Occasionally other things. Didn't mean to, just sort of spiraled.

Waiting for my Jewish space laser.

Goyim welcome but may be perplexed.

About me (not Judaism/Israel related)

She/they. Autistic. Neurodivergent. Sadly, American. Anxious. Not good at deciding things.

About me (Judaism/Israel related)

Zionist, in the sense of "Jews should have a state roughly where it is now with undefined borders". Ashkenazi. Reform Jew hovering near agnostic/athiest/ignostic. ✡️, obviously. Stands with Israelis; does not stand with Israel's government. Fuck Bibi.

slogans & such

bring them home now. am yisrael chai! we will dance again.

woman, life, freedom / زن، زندگی، آزادی. biji kurdistan.

nothing about us without us. healthcare is a human right.

childless cat lady. black lives matter. believe women. defund the police. protect trans kids.

We are the 99 percent. (hummed) look for the union label

slava ukraini!

free uyghurs. free rohingya.

international politics

Supports a change in status (unless noted, internationally-recognized sovereignty as a democracy with peaceful relationships with neighbors) for:

Somaliland (de facto independent but should be more broadly recognized)

Western Sahara

East Turkestan/Xinjiang

Hong Kong

Taiwan (independent but should be more broadly recognized)

Tibet

Kurdistan

Assyria

Palestine (probably split into two states of Gaza and the West Bank; at the very least something better than the current state of affairs)

Kosovo (de facto independent but should be more recognized)

Puerto Rico (statehood or independence)

DC (statehood)

Other assorted US territories, e.g. Guam, Northern Mariana Islands (statehood or independence)

West Papua (possibly merging with Papua New Guinea)

Other people's good posts

Oh shit, how did I forget to add this one? Crucial context on Israel, Palestine, Judaism, etc.

https://www.tumblr.com/the-library-alcove/768325306084999168/so-a-while-back-a-fairly-left-wing-friend-of-mine: Left-wing Shoah denial

https://www.tumblr.com/greco-roman-jewess/773850159100624896/being-a-jew-studying-preholocaust-european-jewish: We got the bad ending

https://www.tumblr.com/a-very-tired-jew/778463277637304320: Columbia University antisemitism report

https://www.tumblr.com/unsolicited-opinions/777853546362290176: They went to Israel because it's all there was; musings on Zionism, Israel, etc

https://www.tumblr.com/fromchaostocosmos/778198867204325376/could-you-please-explain-to-me-how-and-why-exactly: gender roles in Judaism, particularly for Jewish men

https://www.tumblr.com/pagecommando/783227247604744192: jews as a rorscharch test

https://www.tumblr.com/odakota-rose/738887554804383744/people-with-low-spoons-someone-just-recommended: The -- free! -- "Sad Bastard Cookbook". Despite the name it's also great if you have other reasons for low spoons (or executive dysfunction)

https://www.tumblr.com/self-care-club/757577148611674112/alexithymia-sucks-this-chart-helps: Fun fact: ~10 percent of people have alexithymia! If you're one of them, try this. It's hard to pinpoint the exact thing but it can get you a vague word. Sadly it doesn't do much for poor interoception (or the fact that Google's dictionary apparently doesn't recognize the word interoception), but it's a start!

https://www.tumblr.com/swarm-of-bees-in-a-trenchcoat/758045266151653376/dealing-with-executive-dysfunction-a-masterpost Executive dysfunction masterpost

Sideblogs:

@zionism-is-antisemitism, @zionism--is--antisemitism, @zionismisantisemitism: to keep antisemites from getting to it, I don't plan on posting much/at all.

@not-at-all-antisemitic: Haven't quite figured this one out yet. Maybe it'll be an archive.

Procedures & clarfications:

Names of antisemites might not be censored. Depends on my mood.

Many posts will be archived on my end (eg with screenshots)

I may direct you to/quote older posts. If you don't want that to happen, maybe be originally antisemitic.

Genuine questions about Judaism, Israel, etc are welcome! I leave it to you to know if it's genuine.

I will try to flag posts with trigger warnings etc but I may miss some.

If you say something where you are clearly using a dogwhistle for Jew, I will reply as if you said Jew.

Common pitfalls in ad hominems

To save you the trouble of embarrassingly referring to me as one thing only to be informed I am another, here are some not-really-negative things you can slander me with and some common pitfalls when you are ad homineming me.

I:

am Zionist

am Jewish

American, unfortunately. (Emigrating is hard for disabled people, most countries with actual healthcare systems won't accept me and for some reason I don't think making aliyah will make them shut up?)

stand with Israel (mostly)

I am not:

Israeli (or other implications, such as being an Israeli citizen, having any extra influence on Israeli politics, etc). I have never been to Israel.

a Khazar

a Nazi (well, I suppose I might be...as usual, I'd like a definition of how I have in any way, shape, or form expressed support or tolerance of the actions or ideology of the Nazis)

In Memory

Update, February 20, 2025: Kfir, Ariel, and Shiri Bibas are dead.

Kfir was nine months when he was kidnapped. Depending on how old he was when he died, he may have spent most of his life in captivity. He was a baby who had an infectious laugh and had just started crawling. He was always smiling. He didn't even have teeth yet.

Ariel was four, maybe five. He was full of energy and liked Batman, toy cars and tractors, and "anything with wheels and a motor".

Shiri was in her thirties. Her name meant "my song". There's something poetic about that, somewhere.

Even-Longer-Overdue Changelog

Watch me fail to update this when I make changes.

May 22, 2025: Added the crucial context post

May 12, 2025: executive dysfunction masterpost added. will forget about it because i have bad executive function; jews as rorscarch test or however the fuck you spell it

May 8, 2025: Added international politics section; moved Kfir/Shiri/Ariel memorial to the end; added slogans; changed introduction.

April 2, 2025: Added Sad Bastard Cookbook and alexithymia chart, minor formatting changes, created this changelog.

(Retroactive) Feb. 20, 2025: Update on Ariel and Kfir.

(Retroactive) Dec. 17, 2024 -- Created this post

[surnaal]

#Somalie #Taiwan #Chine #Diplomatie Un différend diplomatique singulier a récemment émergé, opposant la Somalie à l'entité insulaire de Taïwan. Cette tension s'est concrétisée par l'instauration réciproque de mesures restrictives à l'entrée sur leurs territoires respectifs pour les ressortissants de l'autre partie. L'origine de cette brouille inhabituelle semble découler directement des liens établis par Taïwan avec une région du nord de la Somalie qui a unilatéralement proclamé son indépendance. Cette reconnaissance perçue comme une ingérence par Mogadiscio a provoqué une réaction ferme des autorités somaliennes, qui ont décidé de signifier leur désapprobation par une action concrète affectant la circulation des personnes. La décision de la Somalie d'interdire l'accès aux détenteurs de passeports taïwanais a trouvé un écho favorable auprès des autorités de la République populaire de Chine. Pékin considère en effet Taïwan comme une province renégate et s'oppose farouchement à toute reconnaissance internationale de son statut indépendant. Les félicitations adressées par la Chine à la Somalie soulignent l'alignement de Mogadiscio sur la politique d'une seule Chine et renforcent la position de Pékin dans ses efforts d'isolement diplomatique de Taïwan sur la scène mondiale. Cette dynamique met en évidence la manière dont les États africains peuvent se trouver au carrefour de rivalités géopolitiques d'envergure. Face à cette interdiction d'entrée décrétée par Mogadiscio, les autorités taïwanaises ont exprimé leur vive condamnation. Elles perçoivent cette mesure comme une réponse disproportionnée et une instrumentalisation de leur relation avec le Somaliland. Taïwan a toujours cherché à développer des partenariats internationaux, y compris avec des entités non reconnues universellement, dans le but de briser son isolement diplomatique imposé par Pékin. La réaction somalienne est donc interprétée à Taipei comme une conséquence directe de la pression exercée par la Chine sur les États qui entretiennent des relations avec l'île. Cet épisode illustre de manière frappante l'influence grandissante des compétitions géopolitiques globales sur les affaires intérieures et les relations interétatiques en Afrique. La décision de la Somalie, en apparence circonscrite à un différend bilatéral, s'inscrit en réalité dans un cadre beaucoup plus large de positionnement stratégique. En s'alignant publiquement sur la Chine et en prenant des mesures à l'encontre de Taïwan, Mogadiscio cherche non seulement à affirmer sa souveraineté territoriale face à la question du Somaliland, mais aussi à consolider ses liens avec une puissance mondiale dont l'influence économique et politique en Afrique ne cesse de croître. Cette situation met en lumière la complexité des choix diplomatiques auxquels sont confrontés les États du continent africain dans un monde multipolaire. Read the full article

[somalilandcurrentnews]

Taiwan FM Meets Somaliland Representative to Strengthen Bilateral Ties

The Republic of Somaliland and the Republic of China (Taiwan) reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations during a high-level meeting between Somaliland’s Representative to Taiwan Amb Mahmoud Adam Jama “Galaal” and Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Lin Chia-Lung. The discussions, held in Taipei, focused on expanding cooperation across various sectors, including trade,…

[caalaadd]

Somaliland welcomes US bill as pivotal moment in quest for sovereignty recognition

China puts foot down on Taiwan-Somaliland relations Somaliland officials have welcomed a bill tabled to US Congress that would see Washington formally recognize the breakaway region as a sovereign state. The bill, which has been forwarded to the House foreign affairs committee, was put forward by Republican Congressman Scott Perry on December 12, 2024. If the bill gains approval from both…

[magpiejay1234]

Kind of interesting to see what new conflict there will be a Western focus on.

In the case of Arab-majority countries, there isn't any potential new crisis point besides maybe Egypt, or Djibouti. Iran's sphere of influence is already in conflict, Gulf States, and the Maghreb are both connected to the West heavily.

Republicans despise Algeria, but the current Trump presidency is unlikely to go for a regime change, even if to remove a pro-Russian government, since Trump wants to keep good relations with Russia, and is more concerned with getting rid of Lukashenko.

Similar issue exists with Kim Jong-un, though conventional Republicans hate DPRK, Trump sees DPRK as a potential wedge against China, similar to what he wants to do with Putin's Russia. This isn't necessarily a new policy, this has been the Dubya era hypothesis, but it hasn't materialised yet.

It is highly unlikely that besides Belarus Trump 2 will support any active pro-democratic revolt, since the primary focus will be on Latin America again, but there will likely be edge cases where he will want to stop a long-running conflict. We know Kosovo-Serbia is one of those from Trump 1, it is possible that Somaliland might be another if UAE lobbies hard, for example.

****

Another leftover idea was the whole concept of renuclearisation. Trump wanted US allies to acquire their own nuclear weapons, in replacement of permanent USA bases.

Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia were the prominent options.

Change in South Korea's policy is unlikely due to the recent Biden era agreement, so the can will be kicked down to either Japan, or Saudi Arabia.

[somalilandmonitor]

Somaliland-Taiwan Economic Cooperation: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects

Somaliland-Taiwan Economic Cooperation: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects

By Abdiqani Muse Hassan In 2020, the Republic of Somaliland and the Republic of China (Taiwan) formed diplomatic relations and established representative offices in the respective capitals. Since then, the two countries have started technical assistance projects in agriculture, information technology, and medical sectors, nevertheless, the economic cooperation has yet to get momentum. The…

[newshubnaija]

China, Somaliland clash over relations with Taiwan

China, Somaliland clash over relations with Taiwan

China cannot dictate Somaliland’s foreign relations, its top diplomat said Friday during his trip to Taiwan in a show of solidarity between the two self-ruled democracies. Ties between the breakaway African region and Taiwan have grown closer in recent years, swapping de facto embassies in 2020 and finding common ground as thriving democracies that remain… Read More

[surnaal]

#Somalie #Taiwan #Chine #Diplomatie Un différend diplomatique singulier a récemment émergé, opposant la Somalie à l'entité insulaire de Taïwan. Cette tension s'est concrétisée par l'instauration réciproque de mesures restrictives à l'entrée sur leurs territoires respectifs pour les ressortissants de l'autre partie. L'origine de cette brouille inhabituelle semble découler directement des liens établis par Taïwan avec une région du nord de la Somalie qui a unilatéralement proclamé son indépendance. Cette reconnaissance perçue comme une ingérence par Mogadiscio a provoqué une réaction ferme des autorités somaliennes, qui ont décidé de signifier leur désapprobation par une action concrète affectant la circulation des personnes. La décision de la Somalie d'interdire l'accès aux détenteurs de passeports taïwanais a trouvé un écho favorable auprès des autorités de la République populaire de Chine. Pékin considère en effet Taïwan comme une province renégate et s'oppose farouchement à toute reconnaissance internationale de son statut indépendant. Les félicitations adressées par la Chine à la Somalie soulignent l'alignement de Mogadiscio sur la politique d'une seule Chine et renforcent la position de Pékin dans ses efforts d'isolement diplomatique de Taïwan sur la scène mondiale. Cette dynamique met en évidence la manière dont les États africains peuvent se trouver au carrefour de rivalités géopolitiques d'envergure. Face à cette interdiction d'entrée décrétée par Mogadiscio, les autorités taïwanaises ont exprimé leur vive condamnation. Elles perçoivent cette mesure comme une réponse disproportionnée et une instrumentalisation de leur relation avec le Somaliland. Taïwan a toujours cherché à développer des partenariats internationaux, y compris avec des entités non reconnues universellement, dans le but de briser son isolement diplomatique imposé par Pékin. La réaction somalienne est donc interprétée à Taipei comme une conséquence directe de la pression exercée par la Chine sur les États qui entretiennent des relations avec l'île. Cet épisode illustre de manière frappante l'influence grandissante des compétitions géopolitiques globales sur les affaires intérieures et les relations interétatiques en Afrique. La décision de la Somalie, en apparence circonscrite à un différend bilatéral, s'inscrit en réalité dans un cadre beaucoup plus large de positionnement stratégique. En s'alignant publiquement sur la Chine et en prenant des mesures à l'encontre de Taïwan, Mogadiscio cherche non seulement à affirmer sa souveraineté territoriale face à la question du Somaliland, mais aussi à consolider ses liens avec une puissance mondiale dont l'influence économique et politique en Afrique ne cesse de croître. Cette situation met en lumière la complexité des choix diplomatiques auxquels sont confrontés les États du continent africain dans un monde multipolaire. Read the full article

[somalilandcurrentnews]

The Government of Somaliland is not consulting with China or any other party regarding the relations it is establishing with Taiwan-Foreign Affairs Minister

By Goth Mohamed Goth Hargeisa – The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somaliland, Abdirahman Dahir Aden, clarified that the government is not consulting with China or any other party regarding its relations with Taiwan. In an interview with the BBC, he described the partnership between Somaliland and Taiwan as a cooperative relationship grounded in mutual interests. He emphasized that this…

[berberanews]

'Born free': Somaliland says China can't dictate to it over Taiwan

‘Born free’: Somaliland says China can’t dictate to it over Taiwan

Reuters-China cannot dictate who Somaliland can have relations with as it was a sovereign nation and “born free”, the foreign minister of the breakaway Somali region said on Friday during a trip to Taiwan which has been condemned by Beijing. Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991 but has not gained widespread international recognition for its independence. The region has been mostly peaceful…

[somalilandmonitor]

The Somaliland Connection: Taiwan’s Return to Africa?

The Somaliland Connection: Taiwan’s Return to Africa?

Taiwan’s Somaliland connection and Taiwan’s new representative office in Hargeisa not only gives Taipei another connection to the African continent, but also establishes a new model of relations that could be extended to other states. By Jean-Pierre Cabestan Without fanfare and much to the surprise of many observers, on February 26, 2020, the foreign ministers of Taiwan and Somaliland met in…

[govsea]

Shoes and clothes in Ethiopia: why consumers prefer ‘old and trendy’ over ‘new but fake’

With a population of more than 100 million people, Ethiopia has a large domestic market. Because of the poor state of the economy (per capita income of $790), Ethiopia's per capita expenditure on clothes and shoes is low in comparison with countries that have a smaller population size. Even then, for the majority of Ethiopian households in the countryside and small towns, expenditure on clothing and shoes rank as the most important non-food expenses.

Ethiopia has recently emerged as an important source of clothes and shoes for global brands like H&M, Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein. Ethiopia’s new apparel industries, which feed the lucrative global textile supply chain are not allowed to sell their products to the local market. The Ethiopian government seeks to use the textile and apparel industry to generate foreign exchange and jobs.

Imports cover about 79 % of the domestic market for clothes and 56 % for shoes according to data by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce. Accordingly, clothes and shoes are among the top ten of Ethiopia's (official) imports. Due to high import tariffs and other difficulties, a significant portion of clothes and shoes are imported illicitly. In one estimate, about 48 percent of textiles and apparels imported into Ethiopia come through illicit channels.

Even though it is illegal to import SHC and shoes into Ethiopia, trading in these commodities has been a thriving business. SHC and shoes markets are ubiquitous in Ethiopian cities and towns. Because of their low price and better quality in comparison to imported and locally produced new clothes, SHC and shoes continue to attract a large number of buyers. Young consumers whom we interviewed in Jigjiga jovially explained why they prefer to buy SHC and shoes instead of new ones. They said that in comparison to new imitation clothes and shoes, SHC and shoes were trendy and durable. They argued that new clothes sourced from China and other Asian countries were of lower quality and did not provide enough choice – 'wearing them is like wearing uniforms', an interlocutor pointed out.

Recently, trading in used shoes has become more lucrative than trading in SHC. More and more consumers are buying second hand shoes as the market offers original brands like Nike, Reebok, Adidas or Puma. More often than not second hand shoes in good condition are a lot more expensive than new shoes that imitate global brands.

One of the major gateways for second hand clothes and shoes is the Ethio-Somaliland corridor. These commodities largely originate from the US and Europe and transit through Dubai ports. From Dubai they are brought to Berbera port by Somaliland traders. According to traders in Jigiga, SHC are disaggregated at the point of origin into different kinds such as t-shirts, trousers, shirts, suits and children and women clothes and wrapped separately into different bundles, known in Amharic as bonda. Shoes are also wrapped in separate bundles.

Second hand cloth vendors in Jigjiga, the capital of Ethiopia’s Somali regional state

©  Asnake Kefale (2019)

Tog Wajaale, the main trading hub for the trans-border trade between Ethiopia and Somaliland also serves as a major point of transit for SHC and shoes in the corridor. There are two major transport routes that take commodities to different towns in Eastern Ethiopia and further north to the central parts of Ethiopia. The first and major route is the Jigjiga route. The second one connects Tog Wajaale to the ancient city of Harar through Chinaksen bypassing Jigjiga. This route gained in importance in recent years, in particular after 2015 when security deteriorated as a result of the Somali-Oromo conflict. While the Jigjiga route – which is discussed in this blog – is dominated by Somali traders, the Chinaksen route is in the hands of Oromo traders.

Used clothes and shoes are transported in different ways to Jigjiga from Tog Wajaale. Small traders, usually women, buy small quantities of used clothes and shoes from retailers in the Tog Wajaale market. They then travel by bus or minibus to Jigjiga where they distribute the goods to their clients. They employ different tricks to bypass customs inspection, for example they distribute clothes and shoes among cooperative passengers. Once they arrive in Jigjiga, the traders supply small retailers in the town. Small scale traders diversity the commodities they bring to Jigjiga in order to minimize the risk of getting bankrupt in the event of confiscation of their merchandize. For instance they buy food items like cooking oil, pasta, and sugar, which customs officers usually do not confiscate.

A larger portion of SHC and shoes are transported from Tog Wajaale as bundles by medium sized trucks, predominantly by ISUZU trucks. This option is used by medium and large scale Somali traders. According to informants, traders write their names on the bundle of SHC and Shoes and pay in advance for transport costs. Often a transport operator collects a range of different goods, including SHC and shoes, and has them loaded onto their trucks. These transactions are all based on trust and traders admit that there is always a risk of confiscation. Transporters mostly use the asphalt road. They facilitate the passage of goods by transporting the merchandize at times when customs inspections are more lax or by ‘collaborating’ with officials. In some cases they use bush roads to circumvent customs checkpoints. Each of the transporters has his stores in Jigjiga and when the merchandize arrives in the stores, they inform the traders, inviting them to collect their goods.

The bundles are then taken to different stores in town. Cloth bundles are usually opened on Fridays and Saturdays as these are important market days. Shoe bundles are opened immediately after their arrival. When the bundles are opened the clothes and shoes are graded on the basis of their quality. Retailers tailor, wash and iron textiles to add value to them. Shoes are also washed. There are hundreds of stores in Jigjiga where SHC and shoes are sold. These stores are found in the central market area, the old and new Taiwan markets. There is also a large number of traders who hawk the town. Most of the traders in the main market and the old Taiwan are men while female traders dominate Jigjiga’s new Taiwan market.

A significant portion of SHC and shoes are sent from Jigjiga to the central parts of the country including Addis Ababa. Small traders from Addis Ababa buy smaller quantities of shoes and clothes and then transport them by public transport. A recent development in the trading of second hand quality brand shoes is the usage of scheduled Ethiopian Airlines flights from Jigjiga to Addis Ababa. Traders buy good condition brand shoes like Nike, Adidas, Reebok and others and fly them back to Addis Ababa. One reason why air transport is attractive is that customs inspections at Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport are less rigorous compared to custom checkpoints along the road.

The shoes brought to Addis Ababa are sold at a considerably higher price than newly imported shoes that are counterfeited. Many of the shops specializing in the supply of second hand shoes brand themselves as 'Torshin shoe stores’, adulterating Adidas Torsion System shoe series.

In sum, although the Ethiopian government bans the trade of used clothes and shoes, it is a thriving business that relies on cross-border transporting. It provides jobs to tens of thousands of people across the country as well as options for consumers. Like other commodities traded in the corridor, for instance electronic goods, the trade in used clothes and shoes happens through the collaboration of various actors including traders, transporters and public officials.

This field report was written by Asnake Kefale, associate professor at Addis Ababa University’s Department of Political Science and International Relations. His research team conducted preliminary fieldwork including key informant interviews on cross-border trading in second hand clothing and shoes in the Ethio-Somaliland corridor in October 2019.

[annafricatv]

Somaliland Opens New Representative Office In Taiwan

Somaliland Opens New Representative Office In Taiwan

Somaliland, a self-declared republic neighboring Somalia, has opened a representative office in Taiwan.

The two breakaway regions, Somaliland and Taiwan, announced diplomatic relations two months ago, shrugging off furious protests from both China and Somalia.

The self-declared African nation of Somaliland touted potential oil, gas and tourism resources for investment as it opened a de facto…

[somalilandcurrentnews]

The strong Taiwan and Somaliland partnership

Somaliland is a de facto sovereign state that is not recognized by the international community. Somaliland President Muse Bihi has established a foreign policy strategy based on the development of Hargeisa’s relations with Taipei, meeting Taiwan’s willingness to become strong allies in a “complicated environment.” Bihi’s stance became crystal clear in 2020, when he rejected an offer from…

[coolsandy8800]

Bucking China pressure, Taiwan, Somaliland establish ties

Bucking China pressure, Taiwan, Somaliland establish ties

Taiwan has scored a rare diplomatic victory in establishing relations with the independent region of Somaliland