Text

theses

This work uses definitions of the state and state theory put forth through the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia, the 1933 Montevideo Convention and the 1963 Organization of African Union Charter to analyze and compare the statehood claims made by South Sudan and Somaliland, respectively. South Sudan, as the newest member state to the United Nations serves as the case study for internationally recognized statehood while Somaliland, which declared its independence in 1991 but has yet to be recognized by any international entity functions as an example of a territory that fulfills many of the functions of a state without achieving recognition. The study uses literature on economic dependence, resource endowments, interregional conflict, state-building and ‘failed states’ to examine each territory’s ability to achieve the four tenants of statehood put forth by the Montevideo Convention: the existence of a permanent population; the occupation of a clearly defined territory; the operation of effective governance over said people and territory; and the ability to engage in international treaties. While the prevailing theory is that international recognition declares statehood already achieved, as opposed to constituting statehood itself, the two cases prove that in practice the opposite is far closer to reality – an entity’s external relationships are the determining factor in gaining recognition and becoming a full-fledged member of the international community.

ETD_6311

M.A.

Includes bibliographical references

by Katherine O. Bannor

doi:10.7282/T32J6DPF

ETD graduate

The author owns the copyright to this work.