Carrie Symonds, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s girlfriend, has reportedly been denied a visa to the United States for having traveled to Somaliland. It’s a sin with which I’m familiar, having visited Somaliland twice, including earlier this month. I certainly will go again in the coming year.

The root of the problem is not Somaliland, but Somalia. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Somaliland was a British protectorate. The United Kingdom gave it full independence in 1960, and every member of the UN Security Council (including the United States) recognized Somaliland as an independent country. In a fit of nationalist euphoria, however, some Somaliland authorities entered into a voluntary union with the former Italian colony, and together they became Somalia.