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Somaliland: A report from the field

12 June 2009

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An audio slideshow by Narayan Mahon

Somaliland's mental hospital: Stretched to the limit

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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.

This project is part of the Pulitzer Gateway Fragile States, an interactive educational portal that helps tell the stories of the dangers weak states around the world pose -- and also the international interventions that appear to be making a difference. Fragile States also includes reporting from Pulitzer projects in East Timor, Bosnia, Haiti, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Sudan and Guinea-Bissau. Join the conversation by sharing your story about fragile states. Learn more about the Pulitzer Center's Global Gateway.