The first time I prepared to represent Somaliland at an international conference abroad, I believed that thorough preparation meant mastering the conference agenda, refining my speech, and developing a solid understanding of the issues to be discussed. I was determined to represent my country with professionalism and confidence, convinced that subject knowledge alone was the key to meaningful representation.
A few days before my departure, I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Jama Musse, an ethnomathematician and the Director of the Hargeisa Cultural Centre. During our conversation, he offered me a piece of advice that has remained with me ever since. He said, "When you represent Somaliland, do not carry only your speech and your documents; carry your culture, your history, and your language."
Those words fundamentally changed the way I understood representation. I realized that representing a nation is about far more than presenting political positions or policy arguments. It is about carrying the collective memory, cultural heritage, and identity that generations have carefully preserved over centuries. From that day forward, I committed myself to learning more about Somaliland's history, traditions, literature, and, above all, the Somali language.
As I immersed myself in that journey, I came to understand a truth I had never fully appreciated before. The strongest pillar of Somaliland's identity has never been defined solely by borders, institutions, or written constitutions. It has been the Somali language itself. Through language, our ancestors passed down their stories, preserved poetry and proverbs, safeguarded customary knowledge, and sustained a shared sense of belonging during both times of peace and periods of struggle.
Each international conference I attended thereafter deepened my appreciation of my mother tongue. I realized that whenever I spoke about Somaliland, I was not merely describing a territory or a political entity. I was speaking about a people whose language serves as the living archive of their memory, culture, and identity. It was then that I truly understood that language is far more than a means of communication; it is one of the strongest foundations upon which a people's identity endures.
The history of Somaliland demonstrates that language has never been merely a tool for communication. During the difficult years of the liberation struggle, the Somali language became the voice of the people, a source of resilience, and a powerful instrument for preserving hope. While weapons echoed across the land, language refused to fall silent. Instead, it found expression through poets, singers, playwrights, and storytellers whose words inspired courage, unity, and perseverance.
For the people of Somaliland, whose society has long been rooted in a rich oral tradition, poetry was never simply entertainment, nor were songs composed merely for artistic expression. They became vehicles of political consciousness, collective memory, and national mobilization. Through carefully chosen words, poets and artists strengthened public morale, reminded communities of what they were fighting to protect, and nurtured an enduring belief that freedom was within reach.
Poets became the voice of the people. Through their verses, they documented the suffering endured by civilians, celebrated the courage of those who resisted oppression, and kept alive the hope of a free future. Their works travelled far beyond the cities, reaching rural communities and gathering places where people came together to listen, reflect, and draw strength from shared experiences. In times when fear threatened to silence society, poetry gave people a language through which they could endure.
One of the songs that deeply resonated with the people during this period was performed by the renowned Somaliland artist Sahra Halgan. The lyrics captured both the pain of the people and their determination to continue resisting:
The elderly and the children,
The women they killed,
Bombarded with heavy artillery,
Struck by tanks,
Though they had committed no crime,
They were driven from their homes.
Let us not be naïve,
Let us join the struggle,
Let us give what we have,
Let us not delay any longer.
These verses were far more than artistic expression. They gave voice to collective grief while urging unity, sacrifice, and resilience. Rather than allowing despair to prevail, such works transformed pain into determination, offering people the hope that one day their struggle would succeed.
Yet the role of literature and the performing arts extended well beyond songs. Plays, poems, and dramatic performances became powerful platforms through which messages of patriotism, resistance, and freedom were communicated. The stage evolved into a space where the realities of conflict could be confronted openly, where public awareness was nurtured, and where a shared national consciousness was strengthened. Somaliland's writers and artists understood that, at times, a single poem or theatrical performance could move hearts and minds more profoundly than even the most carefully crafted political speech.
When the armed struggle came to an end, the work of the Somali language did not. Instead, it entered a new phase that proved just as significant as its role during the years of conflict. Somaliland faced the immense task of rebuilding not only its cities and infrastructure but also the trust, unity, and hope of its people.
During the reconciliation conferences that laid the foundations for Somaliland's peace, the Somali language became the language of dialogue, deliberation, and consensus-building. Traditional elders, community leaders, religious scholars, and political figures all spoke in a language that every participant could understand. This shared linguistic space made it possible for decisions to emerge through collective ownership rather than being imposed by a select few.
In many ways, Somaliland's reconstruction began with words before it began with bricks and cement. Trust was rebuilt through dialogue, and that dialogue was conducted in Somali. Language therefore became the invisible foundation upon which peace, reconciliation, and modern state-building were constructed.
More than three decades after Somaliland reasserted its self-governance, literature and poetry continue to occupy a central place in public life. Although society has changed, poems, songs, and oral literature remain powerful vehicles for public debate, civic awareness, and national identity.
Whenever Somaliland's international recognition is discussed, the voices of poets, writers, and artists are never far behind. Through their work, they remind society of the importance of safeguarding its language, culture, and unity. In doing so, they also communicate Somaliland's story to international audiences, demonstrating that its people possess a distinct history, cultural heritage, and collective identity.
Art and literature remain among the strongest pillars supporting the preservation of the Somali language. Every generation in Somaliland produces new poets and artists who continue the work of those who came before them. Their role extends far beyond composing songs. They preserve the language, enrich its vocabulary, protect its expressive beauty, and encourage younger generations to take pride in their mother tongue.
When a group of Somaliland artists was once asked what contribution they made to society, they responded not with an explanation but with a song that expressed the responsibility they felt toward their language and culture:
Day and night,
We shape our words,
For our mother tongue,
We aspire to its progress.
We guide it constantly,
We nurture and refine it,
We never abandon it;
We dedicate ourselves to its service.
We kindle wisdom and separate truth from falsehood.
We stand ready to protect it.
We guide our people,
We direct them toward the common good.
We remove the dust from our history and heritage.
We uphold the traditions through which we have lived.
We lead the younger generation along the right path.
These lyrics reflect a deeply rooted understanding within Somaliland that artists are not merely entertainers. They are custodians of language, guardians of cultural memory, and stewards of the values that bind communities together. Through their creativity, they ensure that the Somali language remains vibrant, relevant, and capable of carrying the identity of future generations.
The song beautifully illustrates that Somaliland's artists see themselves as far more than performers. They regard themselves as custodians of their language, culture, and history. This understanding has helped ensure that the Somali language remains the backbone of Somaliland's collective identity.
No discussion of the preservation of the Somali language in Somaliland would be complete without recognizing the indispensable role of its poets. For centuries, they have served as guardians of knowledge, history, and cultural memory. Their creativity has never been confined to artistic expression alone; it has guided communities, mediated social tensions, inspired resilience, and encouraged each new generation to cherish and protect its linguistic and cultural heritage.
Some of Somaliland's most influential literary figures including Mohamed Hashi Dhamac ("Gaarriye"), Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame ("Hadraawi"), Cabdi Aadan Xayd ("Qays"), Sahardiid Mohamed Elmi ("Jabiye"), and Hassan Haji Abdillahi ("Hassan Ganey") have left an enduring legacy for Somali society. Through their poetry, they enriched the Somali language, transforming it into a powerful medium through which freedom, love, justice, peace, and patriotism could be expressed with remarkable depth and beauty.
That legacy has not faded. A new generation of poets including Sidiiq Burbad, Hassan Dhuxul ("Laabsaalax"), Hassan Daahir ("Weedhsame"), Abdillahi Hassan Ganey, and Daaha Gaas continues to build upon the foundations laid by their predecessors. Through their work, they address the realities of contemporary society while preserving the richness, elegance, and expressive power of the Somali language, ensuring that it continues to thrive for future generations.
The continued emergence of new generations of poets and artists demonstrates that the Somali language is not merely a historical relic preserved in memory, but a living and evolving language that continues to grow, adapt, and inspire.
Although Somali remains the backbone of Somaliland society, it now faces new challenges that differ significantly from those of the past. Globalization, the increasing dominance of foreign languages, and the rapid advancement of technology have all reshaped the ways in which language is used and transmitted.
Many young people are educated in foreign languages, while a significant proportion of modern knowledge is produced and disseminated in international languages. In addition, in today's highly digital and interconnected world, driven by the internet and artificial intelligence, languages without a sufficient digital presence risk being left behind in technological development.
Yet every challenge also carries opportunity. The very technologies that pose risks can also serve as powerful tools for the preservation and advancement of the Somali language. The digitization of literature, the development of modern dictionaries, linguistic research, educational platforms, and the use of Somali across digital media can all help ensure that the language remains vibrant and visible in the digital age.
This responsibility does not rest solely with governments or educational institutions. It belongs to every speaker of the Somali language. Every writer who produces literature, every teacher who teaches the language, every parent who speaks it to their children, and every artist who creates in Somali contributes to preserving a shared cultural heritage and national identity.
Every society is defined by certain distinguishing characteristics, yet language remains the most enduring of them all. It survives political transformations, transcends generations, and preserves the collective memory of a people.
Somaliland's experience demonstrates that the Somali language is not merely a medium of communication. It has been the instrument through which culture has been preserved, history has been transmitted, society has been unified, and both the liberation struggle and the process of post-conflict reconstruction have been inspired and sustained. To this day, it continues to play a vital role in strengthening social cohesion and reinforcing collective identity.
Constitutions, institutions, and democratic governance may define the architecture of a state, but they do not, by themselves, define the soul of a nation. That soul lives in the language through which a people remember, imagine, and understand themselves.
For Somaliland, the Somali language has long performed that role. It has preserved history when little was written down, sustained unity when institutions were still emerging, and given voice to a people whose identity has endured through conflict, displacement, and political uncertainty.
Protecting the Somali language, therefore, is not an act of cultural nostalgia. It is an investment in the future. It strengthens social cohesion, nurtures democratic participation, and ensures that economic progress and international engagement remain anchored in the values and memories that define Somaliland as a nation.
Languages survive only when they are lived, not merely spoken. They endure when parents pass them to their children, when poets continue to shape them, when teachers preserve them, and when young people choose to carry them confidently into the future. As long as the Somali language continues to evolve in the voices of its people, it will remain the strongest pillar of Somaliland's identity and one of its greatest contributions to the cultural diversity of the world.
About the Author
Khadan Siyaad holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and is the Chairperson of the Somaliland Youth Ambassadors Council (SOYAC), a youth-led platform dedicated to promoting diplomacy, civic engagement, leadership, and international cooperation.
