Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
UNDERSTAND SOMALILAND
Somaliland Today
While the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland remains unrecognised by the interna-
tional community, expat Somalilanders continue to do their best to influence diplomatic
corps in Europe, East Africa and North America - in vain, so far. Somaliland's leaders have
nurtured good relations with Kenya, Ethiopia, France, the UK, Germany and Norway, and
seem to be backed by the African Union.
Somaliland has a fragile economy that is based on agriculture and pastoralism - the fra-
gility is compounded by the fact that the diplomatic isolation of the country and its nonre-
cognition restrict foreign investment and access to loans. However, expat Somalilanders
have started to invest massively in the capital in recent years. Well over a million Somalis
are scattered across Europe, North America and the Middle East; together they send hun-
dreds of millions of dollars back to Somaliland each year.
But what could really give a new impetus to the country is the oil exploration; eastern
Somaliland is said to be rich in oil resources. There are plans to start prospecting with the
help of foreign companies.
History
Originally, Somalis probably hail from the southern Ethiopian highlands, and have been
subject to a strong Arabic influence ever since the 7th century when the Somali coast
formed part of the extensive Arab-controlled trans-Indian Ocean trading network.
In the 19th century much of the Ogaden Desert - ethnically, a part of Somalia - was an-
nexed by Ethiopia (an invasion that has been a source of bad blood ever since) and then in
1888 the country was divided by European powers. The French got the area around Dji-
bouti, Britain much of the north, while Italy got Puntland and the south. Sayid Maxamed
Cabdulle Xasan (known affectionately as 'the Mad Mullah') fought the British for two dec-
ades, but it wasn't until 1960 that Somaliland, Puntland and southern Somalia were united.
Sadly, interclan tensions, radical socialism, rearmament by the USSR and the occasional
(often disastrous) war with Ethiopia helped tear the country apart. Mohammed Siad Barre,
Somalia's last recognised leader, fled to Nigeria in 1991 after the forces of General Aideed
