Project

Somaliland: A Land in Limbo

Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, is Africa's only fully unrecognized country. After breaking away from Somalia and claiming independence in 1991, the Somaliland government, in stark contrast to the failed state of Somalia, has constructed many facets of a functioning, stable state. Somaliland has carried out several Presidential elections and peaceful transfers of power.

New elections were scheduled for April 2008 and have since been postponed five times, leaving the current President without constitutional power and the loss of a loyal opposition, which now sees the President falling back on the more authoritarian ways of the past, which Somaliland fought long and hard to separate itself from during the reign of Somali dictator, Said Barre.

This project reports on the current situation in Somaliland, investigating the social and political consequences of not realizing the promised elections and the affect this will have on Somaliland's quest for international recognition and the general stability of the Horn of Africa region.

June 12, 2009 | GlobalPost

Interview with a Pirate

Narayan Mahon, Tristan McConnell

The slight figure of Farah Ismail Eid is a far cry from the swashbuckling, murderous image of a pirate of the high seas.

The scourge of piracy along the Horn of Africa's coastline has caused shipping firms to pay millions of dollars in ransoms and has taken several lives. The mighty U.S. Navy and other major powers have deployed warships and frigates to patrol the waters of the Gulf of Aden, but still the pirates succeed in hijacking cargo ships.

June 11, 2009 | Pulitzer Center, World Focus

Somaliland: A Land in Limbo (Part I)

Tristan McConnell, For The Pulitzer Center

It's a disconcerting experience to report from a place that doesn't exist. 18-years ago Somaliland broke away from Somalia, its bigger, nastier neighbor. While that benighted nation has continued its descent into chaos, death and mayhem Somaliland has kept the peace and built a likeness of democracy.

But as Somalia's anarchy is showered with money Somaliland is diligently ignored. In April donor nations pledged another $213-million to the besieged Transitional Federal Government in Mogadishu, that's roughly seven times the annual budget of Somaliland's entire government.

June 02, 2009 | Pulitzer Center

A Land in Limbo

Narayan Mahon

During colonial times, Somalia was divided between British Somaliland (in the north) and Italian Somaliland (in the south, Mogadishu area). After WWII Britain joined British Somaliland with Italian Somaliland, though because of the different colonial legacies, deep social differences existed between the two sides. In 1960 a united Somalia became independent. Following the 1970s war with Ethiopia, the Somali military dictator, Said Barre (a southern Somali), became more and more repressive, pushing people from Somaliland to press for independence.

June 01, 2009 | Pulitzer Center

Somaliland's Mental Hospital: Stretched to the Limit

Narayan Mahon

Somaliland has only one mental hospital in the entire country. Many patients in the hospital suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome from the civil war with southern Somalia, which eventually led to secession and, still after 18 years, de-facto independence. Overuse of khat, a narcotic leaf that is normally chewed throughout the day, has been said to lead to more cases schizophrenia. However, given Somaliland's unrecognized status, the state's coffers are stretched thin, with little available resources for social services such as health care.