Page 31 - Nile Explorer Issue 12

Country Profile

Somaliland

FACTS FILE President: Muse Bihi Abdi

Capital: Hargeisa (independence not
recognized internationally) The local government maintains 1897. Historically, Somaliland achieved
• Population 3.5 million informal ties with number foreign its full independence from the United
• Urban population 1-6 million governments, who have sent delegations Kingdom on 26 June 1960, becoming
• Major languages Somali, Arabic, to Hargeisa. Among them is Ethiopia the 15th African Country to do so. It
English
• Major religion Islam that maintains a trade office in the however, voluntarily entered a union
with Somalia in July 1960.
country.
• Currency Somaliland shilling
• Life expectancy: not available Kenya, whose relationship with Somalia Following a civil war and the collapse
is strained recently committed to of Somalia, it withdrew from the union
omaliland is a self - declared sending a delegation to Hargeisa and and reclaimed its independence on 18
Sindependent state that is Somaliland doing same in Nairobi. May 1991.
internationally recognized as an Although Somaliland’s self-proclaimed Since declaring its independence in
autonomous region of Somalia. The independence remains unrecognized 1991, Somaliland has overcome a legacy
government of Somaliland regards by any country or international of conflict and civil war to secure peace
itself as the successor state to the British organization. It is a member of the and stability within its borders. It is
Somaliland protectorate, which became Unrepresented Nations and Peoples a thriving democratic society with a
independent on 26 June 1960 as the State Organization, whose members consist multi-party system.
of Somaliland, before uniting with the of indigenous peoples, minorities, and In 2001, 10 years after breaking away
Trust Territory of Somalia (the former unrecognized or occupied territories. from Somalia, the government held
Italian Somaliland) on 1 July 1960 to Muse Bihi Abdi was elected president a referendum that year, the results of
form the Somali Republic. in November 2017, succeeding Ahmed which clearly showed that Somaliland’s
Somaliland is bordered by Ethiopia Silanyo. inhabitants supported the region’s claim
in the south and west, Djibouti in the Mr Bihi has served as chairman of the of independence.
northwest, the Gulf of Aden in the north, ruling Kulmiye party since its founder The country holds regular elections
and the autonomous Puntland region of and leader, Silanyo, was elected president and has witnessed multiple peaceful
Somalia to the east. in 2010. transfers of power. Its bicameral
In 1988, the Siad Barre regime launched Parliament successfully blends
a clampdown against the Hargeisa-based A retired air force pilot, Bihi’s only traditional and modern forms of
Somali National Movement (SNM) and previous government post was as interior authority and representation. Its citizens
other rebel outfits, which were among minister of Somaliland in the 1990s. have taken part in five rounds of
the events that led to the Somali Civil The Republic of Somaliland is considers peaceful and internationally-observed
War. itself functionally as a sovereign, multi-party elections at the presidential,
The conflict left the economic and military democratic State in the Horn of Africa, parliamentary and local levels.
infrastructure severely damaged. After sharing its borders with Djibouti to the International monitors have witnessed
the collapse of the central government West, Ethiopia to the South, Somalia all of Somaliland’s elections since 2003
in 1991, the local government, led by to the East and the Gulf of Aden to the and pronounced them free and fair.
the SNM, declared independence from North.
the rest of Somalia on 18 May of the Somaliland has a coastline of 850,800 Since 1991, Somaliland has lobbied the
same year. Since then, the territory has km. It encompasses the territory of the international community to accept the
been governed by an administration that former British Protectorate of Somaliland de facto independence it has enjoyed for
seeks self-determination as the Republic whose borders were established by the last 25 years.
of Somaliland. international treaties between 1888 and Efforts by the governments of Somaliland

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