Welcome to limbo: Somaliland, country that never was
From the cave paintings at Laas Geel to striking colonial architecture, the people of this self-declared East African nation have good reason to be proud. It is well worth a visit, even if tourism infrastructure is lacking
Rather surprisingly, as a Briton, I feel at home in Hargeisa, the rambunctious capital of Somaliland, a country that doesn’t legally exist. It is partly because the locals gather for tea and a slice of cake in the afternoon, but also because I find myself being hailed by Somalilanders with distinctly London accents.
“What brings you here, mate? Good to see ya!” proclaims one returned diaspora man, leaning out of his car window.
Since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, following the end of a civil war, Somaliland has carved out a distinct identity and, cut off from international assistance while stuck in political limbo, has had to develop its own way of doing things.
Travellers to this land, sandwiched between Ethiopia and the Gulf of Aden, therefore, encounter an intriguing mix. Within sight of Hargeisa’s myriad mosques (sharia law is part of the constitution and all women cover their hair in public) are boisterous stalls selling khat, the plant whose shiny green leaves act as a mild stimulant when chewed. By mid-afternoon, and between the daily calls to prayers, the streets are full of men chewing away in search of mirqaan, the Somali word for the euphoric buzz the leaves give.