Somaliland, Puntland & Somalia
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© Lonely Planet Publications SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND 734 lonelyplanet.com SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND & SOMALIA •• Climate & When To Go 735 & SOMALIA CLIMATE & WHEN TO GO Somaliland, Puntland There are regional variations but generally it WARNING goes like this: Somalia has two rainy seasons All parts of Somalia and Puntland were an (April to June and October to November) absolute no-go zone at the time of writ- & SOMALIA & Somalia and two dry seasons (July to September and ing. We were unable to do on-the-ground December to March). From July to September research in Somalia and Puntland, so some temperatures are unbearable, reaching 40°C. information may be unreliable. SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND In the south, near the border with Kenya, the However, we could cover some parts of Somalia has been a horror show for more than a decade. The law of the gun, kidnapping climate is tropical. Somaliland, entering the country overland of aid workers, fighting among rival factions and a host of humanitarian crises have created Travel is much easier during the winter dry from Jijiga (Ethiopia) and using local transpor- a post-apocalyptic feel in this part of the Horn. season, from December to March, when daily tation. Then, our on-the-ground coverage temperatures do not exceed 30°C. included Hargeisa, Las Geel, Berbera, Sheekh In fact, it’s a bit more nuanced than that. Somalia is a patchwork state. Since 1991 the and Burcao, accompanied by an armed sol- country that is still known internationally as Somalia has effectively been three countries in HISTORY dier (mandatory at the time of writing). That one: Somalia in the south, Somaliland in the northwest on the Gulf of Aden, and Puntland Originally, Somalis probably hail from the said, keep your ears to the ground and seek southern Ethiopian highlands, and have been local advice before setting off. perched in the northeast corner. The situation in each zone is radically different. The south, subject to a strong Arabic influence ever since and Puntland (while a little more stable), have long been riddled with clan clashes. the 7th century, when the Somali coast formed part of the extensive Arab-controlled trans- Sadly, interclan tensions, radical socialism, Amid chaos, there is a success story: Somaliland, which, like a phoenix, has risen from Indian Ocean trading network. rearmament by the USSR and the occasional ashes. Discreetly. So discreetly that nobody knows that it has a parliament, a capital, a flag, In the 19th century much of the Ogaden (often disastrous) war with Ethiopia helped a currency, a university and multiparty elections! But Somaliland remains in limbo, with very Desert – ethnically a part of Somalia – was an- tear the country apart. Mohammed Siad few diplomatic supporters and little media coverage to voice its achievements. nexed by Ethiopia (an invasion that has been Barre, Somalia’s last recognised leader, fled a source of bad blood ever since) and then in to Nigeria in 1991 after the forces of General Even in Somalia, the situation may be not insurmountable. There were a few glimmers of 1888 the country was divided by European Aideed took Mogadishu. At the same time the hope at the time of writing. The Islamists that seized power in 2006 had restored relative peace powers. The French got the area around Dji- Somali National Movement (SNM) moved bouti, Britain much of the north, while Italy quickly and declared independence for So- and order, and humanitarian agencies may step in and help the impoverished Somalis. got Puntland and the south. Sayid Maxamed maliland. Puntland also broke away. Cabdulle Xasan (known affectionately as ‘the Hopefully a safe and stable Somalia will emerge one day. And travellers will start trickling Mad Mullah’) fought the British for two dec- Restoration of Hope? in again. In the meantime, all you can do is cross fingers or play it safe in Somaliland. ades, but it wasn’t until 1960 that Somaliland, Fierce battles between warring factions Puntland and southern Somalia were united, throughout southern Somalia took place which wasn’t altogether a good idea. throughout the 1990s, but in 1992 the US led FAST FACTS a UN mission (Operation Restore Hope) to distribute food aid to the southern popula- Area 637,657 sq km HOW MUCH? tion. Without much ado a nasty little con- ATMs None Cost of an armed bodyguard (per flict between the US-UN and warlord General Borders Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti (only day) US$15 Aideed began, during which it’s estimated the Djiboutian and Ethiopian borders with that thousands of Somalis died. The last UN Entrance fee to Las Geel site US$10 Somaliland are open to travellers) troops pulled out in 1995, having alleviated Internet connection US$1 per hour the famine to some extent, but the nation was Budget US$25 to US$100 per day Airfare Djibouti–Hargeisa US$85 (one still a disaster area. Capital Mogadishu (Somalia), Hargeisa way) (Somaliland), Bosasso (Puntland) Utter Failure Languages Somali 1g of gold (21 carats) US$16 Designed to establish control across the whole Money Somaliland shilling; US$1 = SlSh1350 of the country, Somalia’s lame-duck Transi- LONELY PLANET INDEX tional National Government (TNG) was set Population 10 million (including 3.5 million in Somaliland) up in 2000. Alas, it didn’t manage to gain rec- 1L petrol US$1.50 Seasons Wet (March to June & September to December), dry ognition from its own people in Somalia, who (July to August & January to February) 1L bottled water US$0.30 keep regarding it as a creature in the hands Telephone Country code %252; international access code %16 Bottled beer No alcohol is available of international interests. Although it’s the only internationally recognised body, it has Souvenir T-shirt US$3 Time GMT/UTC + 3 proved too weak to impose its rule and has Visa Somaliland US$30, Somalia US$25 (if you can get one) Plate of meat and rice US$2 failed in promoting reconciliation or curbing the power of militias. It has had to cower in SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND 736 SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND & SOMALIA •• History lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com SOMALILAND 737 & SOMALIA the west in the town of Baidoa, its redoubt, Somalilanders, this sounds profoundly unfair. something which no other group has managed ENVIRONMENT leaving the rest of the country in the hands Unlike the rest of Somalia, they have managed since 1991. Characterised by desert or semidesert terrain, of feuding warlords. to establish law and order in their country. As if this wasn’t enough, southern Somalia Somalia is distinguished by three main topo- Expat Somalilanders have kept doing their was affected by the worst drought in a decade graphical features: the Oogo, a mountainous & SOMALIA The Case of Somaliland & Puntland best to influence diplomatic corps in Europe, in 2006, creating the bleakest malnutrition highland region in the north dominated by The self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland in East Africa and in North America – in situation in years. the Gollis Mountains; the Guban, a relatively was formed in 1991 after the collapse of vain, so far. But there are some signs of hope: There is some hope that a comprehensive barren, hot and humid coastal region (domi- SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND unitary Somalia. Thanks mainly to the pre- Somaliland’s leaders have nurtured good rela- victory in the south may at least restore order nating southern Somalia), and the Hawd, a dominance of a single clan (the Isaq), it has tions with Kenya, Ethiopia, the UK, Germany and perhaps bring some relief to Somalis sweeping area of rich, rainy-season pasture remained largely peaceful and stable since and Norway, and seem to be backed by the for the first time since Siad Barre was top- prone to overgrazing and desertification. Se- 1991. It has great oil and gas potential and African Union. pled in 1991. So far, the CIC has restored rious drought continues to plague the south voted for complete independence in 1997 be- In 2003 their efforts were partly ruined by a law and order, as testified by the reopening of the country. fore holding free presidential elections in 2003 sad story: ‘terrorists’ from Mogadishu illegally of Mogadishu’s port and airport in August Unsurprisingly, Somalia has some of the (although opposition parties don’t recognise entered Somaliland and shot several aid work- 2006. Whether they’ll manage to forge a longest beaches in the world. Coral reefs and the victory of President Dahir Riyale Kahin). ers with the aim of destabilising the fledgling more enduring peace remains to be seen, the relatively pristine Seylac Islands lie in the Although its leaders desperately struggle to country and making it lose its credibility on and their ability to establish national unity Red Sea off the coast of Somaliland. gain formal international recognition, Soma- the international scene. This explains why and gain international recognition has yet liland is still treated as a pariah by the inter- the local authorities tend to be overprotec- to be tested. FOOD & DRINK national community and is not recognised tive of foreigners once they venture outside At the time of publication there was a threat Goat and camel meat are popular dishes in as a separate state by the outside world. The the capital. of conflict with neighbouring Ethiopia – Ethi- Somalia. The standard breakfast throughout main reason why the world is reluctant to Puntland is a different kettle of fish. It too opia does not seem to accept an Islamic state Somalia is fried liver with onions and anjeero, accept Somaliland’s independence is that the did reasonably well up until 2001, when Presi- at its doorstep. a flat bread similar to the Ethiopian injera.