The small African state of Somaliland legally doesn’t exist. But Taiwan has spied an … — ABC
“It’s a secret,” smiles Allen C Lou, when asked how many Taiwanese personnel are based in Hargeisa, capital of the unrecognised state of Somaliland in the Horn of Africa.Taiwan is committed to recognising the de facto state and Lou is Taipei’s chief diplomat. But he is coy about just how substantial Taipei’s diplomatic delegation really is.On social media and in conversation, he casually embraces the title of ambassador. Yet given the ambiguous political status of Somaliland, his host country, Lou is mindful to point out that his official title is merely “representative”.But no matter the size of Taiwan’s presence in Somaliland, Taipei’s alliance with this unrecognised state has been steadily building since August 2020.