Somaliland is a semi-desert territory situated on the coast of the Gulf of Aden in the Horn of Africa. A former British protectorate, it declared its independence from Somalia in 1991 following years of civil war. It has since established a working political system, government institutions, a police force and its own currency. Despite the country’s relative stability, it still awaits recognition by the international community.
Abdi Hersi Duali, Vice Commander of the Somaliland Coast Guard. With 300 men and 8 boats, the Coast Guard patrols 850 kilometres of coastline from the border of Djibouti to Puntland. With funding solely from the international community, they have captured nearly 100 pirates mostly at the Puntland border. Vice Commander Hersi says they are in desperate need of bigger boats in order to patrol for longer periods; the boats they have at present are not resistant to bad sea conditions.
“We are different from Somalia, they have been fighting for the last 20 years, these people do not want to go back to a normal life. Here we want law and order, a normal life, to be like other countries, to join the world. We want peace. We need international help and recognition to increase our standard of life.” 2011.
The port of Berbera.
The rock paintings of Laas Geel are estimated to be over 5000 years old. Laas Geel translates roughly as the place “where the giraffes once watered”.
Hargeisa, the capital and largest city of Somaliland.