Subhead:On the streets of Hargeisa, locals share what life is really like in a democracy the world refuses to recognise.#
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Somaliland is a self-governing territory in East Africa that has operated as an independent state since 1991, yet remains largely unrecognised by the international community.
For many Western audiences, it is either unknown or wrongly assumed to be part of neighbouring Somalia. During my visit to the region, the distinction was clear and repeatedly stressed by the people who live there.
Since declaring independence more than three decades ago, Somaliland has held democratic elections, overseen peaceful transfers of power and maintained internal security in one of the most volatile regions in the world.
The locals I talked to regularly pointed to this record as evidence that international recognition is long overdue. They expressed pride in Somaliland’s stability was matched by frustration at its continued diplomatic isolation. Several expressed confidence that recognition would eventually come. “Others are coming,” one local said. “One by one.”
