Somaliland broke away from the rest of Somalia in 1991 and hopes to attract more tourists, despite the proximity of Al Shabaab.

Most people can't correctly picture how Somalia really looks like, these photography will do some good informing to many.

1980s Somali National Movement

Somaliland broke away from the rest of Somalia in 1991 and hopes to attract more tourists, despite the proximity of Al Shabaab.

In front of the old houses in the turkish ottoman quarter. The kid in the right jumped in the frame as i was shooting the little girl! Like Massawa or Suakin, Berbera is an old ottoman town. Many buildings are in ruins, but most of them are inhabited by very welcoming people. Formerly a British colony, Somaliland briefly reached its independence in 1960. It is one of the three Territories, with Puntland and former Italian Somalia that compose the current State of Somalia. Somaliland proclaimed its independence in 1991, adopting its own currency, a fully independent government, working institutions and police. The authorities organized a referendum in 2001, advocating once again for full independence. However, to date, it is not internationally recognized. Ethiopian Prime minister Meles Zenawi is the only one to speak about a Somalilander president, recognizing implicitly the existence of an independent State. Indeed the economy of neighboring Ethiopia dramatically depends on Somaliland stability, since the landlocked country’s main trade route passes through the Somalilander port of Berbera… And vice-versa, the economy of Somaliland largely depends on the taxes and duties it charges Ethiopia. Besides that, the principal economic activity of Somaliland is livestock exportation to the Arabian Peninsula. Most people are Sunni Muslims and speak Arabic, as well as some Somali dialect and many of them, English.Lastely, the East African demography being based on clan alliances, it is no surprise that the frontiers drawn by the colonists don’t match the ethnic divisions of territory, leading to open clashes. More broadly, this problem is recurrent across the African continent. © Eric Lafforgue www.ericlafforgue.com

Khaymad

Somali ancient small bag

Somaliland broke away from the rest of Somalia in 1991 and hopes to attract more tourists, despite the proximity of Al Shabaab.

[Photo] British troops parading in Djibouti, French Somaliland, Dec 1942 | World War II Database

Camel driver, Hargeisa, Somaliland 2015

Hargeisa Somaliland

Hargeisa Somaliland

Hargeisa Somaliland

Somaliland