If the name Somalia struck in your mind, many dangerous fearful situations keep rolling in your mind, but in the case of Somaliland many pleasant things keep going in your mind

History is a clock that people use to tell their political and cultural time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are but, more importantly, what they must be. In part of the world, if the name Somalia struck in your mind, many dangerous things keep rolling in your mind such as terrorism, terror attach, road bomb, rape, piracy, hostage takings, kidnapping, Al Qaeda affiliated terrorist organisation known as Al Shabab, everlasting chaos, the most dangerous country, the most dangerous city, human trafficking, explosion, everlasting crisis African peace keeping troops “UNSOM”, rocket attack, ransom payment, hostages freed fragile government, weak government, a theatre of conflicts, political chessboard, child marriage, child abuse, divided country, war worlds, vote buying, tribal factions and more fearful situations.

Terrorism, terror attach, road bomb, rape, piracy, hostage takings, kidnapping, Al Qaeda affiliated terrorist organisation known as Alshabab, everlasting chaos, the most dangerous country, the most dangerous city, human trafficking, explosion, everlasting crisis African peace keeping troops “UNSOM”, rocket attack, ransom payment, hostages freed fragile government, weak government, a theatre of conflicts, political chessboard, child marriage, divided country, war worlds, vote buying, tribal factions, various armed factions began competing power in Somalia, On ongoing civil war  in Somalia, largest refugees  in the world, reading about Somalia can be a depressing experience: because of the awfulness of the situation,  Al-Shabaab launched deadly attacks, Al-Shabaab suicide bombings, al-Qaeda franchise Al-Shabaab,  armed  militia, Fighting, insecurity and lack of state protection.

Islamist armed group Al-Shabab subjected people living under its control to harsh treatment, forced recruitment, and carried out deadly attacks targeting civilians. -Shabab committed serious abuses, including forcibly recruiting children and adults, arbitrary executions, Al-Shabab continues to prohibit most nongovernmental organizations and all UN agencies from working in areas under its control, the  group continued to blockade government-controlled towns and  attacked civilians,  Somali parties to the conflict continued to commit serious abuses against children, including killings, maiming, recruitment and use in military operations. Somali national Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), unlawful detention, civilians  prosecuted in military courts, a country funded by international community, a country influenced by foreign.

Somalis live in protracted internal displacement, internally displaced women and girls remain at particular risk of sexual and gender-based violence by armed men, including government soldiers, targeted attacks on media, including harassment and arbitrary detentions, continued.  The Somali authorities seldom investigate cases of killings or attacks on journalists. A country of various currencies, Battle ground of foreign interference, political assassination, roadblocks in Somali capital, civilians were targeted or faced indiscriminate attacks, onstitution written by foreign powers  and more fearful situations .

   Situation is very much in the case of Somaliland.  When the name Somaliland struck in your mind, many pleasing things rotates in your mind such as an oasis of peace, peaceful island located in violent region, built from grassroots,  selling currencies in the streets without armed protection, gold selling in the streets without armed protection, a country recovered  from brutal destruction  committed by former brutal regime in Somalia  that collapsed in 1991, role model of African democracy, safe cities and towns, undivided country, people united for common purpose, peaceful capital, a country with multi-party  democracy,

Constitution  written by its people, world class investments, successful diplomacy, strategic location, a bridge that connects  Africa  to outside world, the gateway of gulf of Aden, red sea, Bab -El-mandeb, a country  bordering one the world’s busiest  shipping root, press freedom and many promising situations, free and fair election, one man one vote, When you are in Somaliland, there is never any question that you are in a real country, said by English newspaper journalist Graeme Wood who visited Somaliland in July, 2018. Above explains the great difference between Somaliland and Somalia which mean two countries which have only two things in common namely language and religion but not nothing else in common.

Ismail Lugweyne 

osmanismailsharif@gmail.com