Somaliland, situated in East Africa on the Gulf of Aden, has a population of 3 million citizens and a tumultuous history. Originally known as The Republic of Somaliland known as the Somaliland Protectorate during the British colonial rule from 1884 up until June 26, 1960 when Somaliland celebrated its independence. Only a few days later, on July 1st, it joined the former Italian Somalia to form the Somali Republic.
However despite hope and visions for a united nation, the union sparked a bloody civil war from 1980 until the final collapse of the Somali Republic, when a conference held in Burco on May 18th 1991 terminated the union and reinstated Somaliland’s sovereignty.
With much dispute, Somaliland is currently not internationally recognised as a country. It has a working political system, government institutions, a police force and its own currency. But despite that, media is still under government control with reports of journalists and independent media outlets being targeted when covering sensitive topics.
