SOMALILAND: The African Country that doesn't really exist!

Do you know Somaliland? If not, rest assured, you are not the only one! This video will explain to you why Somaliland is a country which is not recognized today and which does not officially exist, despite the fact that it has its own entry visa, its government, its own currency, its modern shops, and even its own police and army.

Somaliland is a territory of the Horn of Africa, as large as England of 137,600 km with 3.5 million inhabitants. But it is not on any map and has no official existence today. It is located between Somalia and Djibouti. Hargeisa, the capital and largest city of Somaliland, has a population of one million. Completely razed by civil war about 20 years ago, it was rebuilt without any international aid. Somaliland has three borders, if we consider it a true independent country: Somalia to the east, Ethiopia to the south, and Djibouti to the northwest. The language spoken in the country is Somali. Somaliland was part of Somalia from July 1960 to May 18, 1991, when the self-proclamation of its independence was not recognized, as was its constitution adopted on April 30, 2000 by the international community.

Politically, Somaliland establishes its laws on the basis of Islamic, democratic and ancestral demands. Courts in Somaliland operate under Sharia, Islamic law. In the country, all the elections that have taken place so far have been considered democratic. Economically, Somaliland has rebuilt without any international aid its capital, which was totally destroyed in 1988. The Somaliland parliament functions according to traditional and democratic requirements.

Somaliland has a visible border which is hard to miss. The country also has police officers who check every person in the territory and impose a tax on goods. Every day dozens of trucks cross this country and take a deserted and dangerous road riddled with mines to trade to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Many truckers die on this road. There is no insurance in Somaliland, so no one can reimburse truckers for damage that occurs to their trucks or to the goods being transported. Most of the goods and merchandise transported by truckers through Somaliland are in fact not destined for Somaliland, but rather for its neighboring countries.

Among the products transported and exported are carpets, televisions, camels and food products. Truckers also deliver an illegal and popular drug in Somaliland called Khat, a little green leaf. To stay awake on their long road trip, truckers use this powerful, fast-acting drug. In Somaliland, people do not joke with the Khat. If the drug is not available or if it is lacking, it could start a civil war. There is also a drink that sells in large quantities. It is delivered every morning and is consumed fresh: Camel milk. Somaliland is one of the leading exporters of camels. Thousands of camels are sold three times a week in this country. Somalilanders consume camel meat in large quantities to survive, stay healthy, and stay in good shape.

Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo, former politician and president of Somaliland from 2010 to 2017, used to rule Somaliland with democratic means. He was the 4th head of state of this self-proclaimed republic, which has gone through three democratic transitions since its declaration of independence in 1991. Somaliland has remained at peace, avoiding the instability and conflicts which destroy the center and the south of Somalia. This gave its democracy time to develop slowly, and also allowed it to experience sustainable economic growth. The organization of the presidential election was a sign of stability, making Somaliland a model for many African countries.

However, the economic development of Somaliland has not changed the daily lives of the majority of the country's inhabitants. According to the World Bank and based on citizens' income in 2012, Somaliland could be placed 4th lowest income in the world if it were considered a real country. Unfortunately, this situation pushes many young people into exile. Since then, In most of today's presidential elections, which are held regularly every five years, it has been almost 15 years since Somaliland's parliament was renewed. For now, by consensus, elected officials have decided with the permission of the Senate that funds earmarked for its presidential elections will normally be used for the country's development projects.

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