Somaliland
Somaliland is situated on the eastern horn of Africa. It shares its borders with the following countries: Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the north and Somalia to the south. Somaliland has a coastal line to the north and east of the country, which extends 460 miles along the Red Sea. Somaliland was a British protectorate for nearly 80 years, in 1886 British established a protectorate over the northern regions of Somalia on the coast of the Gulf of Aden. Somaliland gained its independence from Britain at 26th of june 1960 and Somaliland entered an ill-starred union with the former Italian Somalia in 1st of July in 1960 in response to the dreams of Somali patriots who wished to unite the lands in which Somalis lived.
Somaliland declared the restoration of its independence and dissolution of its union with Italian Somalia in May 1991, under the leadership of the Somali National Movement (SNM). A stable administration has been formed, though not internationally recognised; Somaliland has a working political system, government institutions, a police force and its own currency. Civil war (1988-1991) had resulted in the deaths of nearly 60,000 people, massive population displacement and total destruction of infrastructures, communications and public services. The country as whole is ruined and raised to ground level as resulting from the legacy of indiscriminate bombardment left by Barre’s military junta since north Somalia (somaliland) was the priority target for them. Consequently, no public services are available for the people of Somaliland owing
mainly to the destruction of hospitals, schools, public residential areas, and the infrastructure as a whole. Somaliland is desperately poor. The majority of the Somaliland people are pastoral nomads, raising camels, sheep, goats and some cattle for subsistence and trade. An estimated 60% of the population depends on livestock and livestock products for its livelihood and there is very little farming. The embargoes on livestock exports, imposed by Arabian Gulf countries to inhibit the confusion the spread of Rift Valley Fever, have seriously affected the Somaliland’s revenues. The economy is highly dependent on money sent home by members of the Diaspora. In recent years, more than 600,000 refugees, out of a population about 3.5 million, have returned to Somaliland and they live appalling conditions.
