104-599: Somaliland , officially the Republic of Somaliland , is an unrecognised country in the Horn of Africa . It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden and bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, Ethiopia to the south and west, and Somalia to the east. Its claimed territory has an area of 176,120 square kilometres (68,000 sq mi), with approximately 6.2 million people as of 2024. The capital and largest city
208-473: A Somali National Movement (SNM) stronghold, among the targeted areas in 1988. The bombardment was led by General Mohammed Said Hersi Morgan , Barre's son-in-law. In May 1988, the SNM launched a major offensive on the cities of Hargeisa and Burao , then the second and third largest cities of Somalia . The SNM captured Burao on 27 May within two hours, while the SNM entered Hargeisa on 29 May, overrunning most of
312-590: A coastal region south of it along the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, in present day north-east Sudan , Eritrea , northeast Ethiopia , Djibouti and northern Somalia , including Somaliland . It is also possible that it covered both the Horn of Africa and the area across the sea, in Southern Arabia . The autonomous state of Puntland , the modern day Somali administrative region at
416-482: A conclusion that another expedition against him would be useless; that they must build a railway, make roads and effectively occupy the whole of the protectorate, or else abandon the interior completely. The latter course was decided upon, and during the first months of 1945, the advance posts were withdrawn, and the British administration confined to the coast town of Berbera . Sheikh Bashir settled many disputes among
520-749: A congratulatory message dated June 26 to the Somaliland Council of Ministers. The following day, on 27 June 1960, the newly convened Somaliland Legislative Assembly approved a bill that would formally allow for the union of the State of Somaliland with the Trust Territory of Somaliland on 1 July 1960. On 1 July 1960, the State of Somaliland and the Trust Territory of Somaliland (the former Italian Somaliland ) united as planned to form
624-512: A fort and took up a defensive position in anticipation of a British counterattack. The British campaign against Sheikh Bashir's troops proved abortive after several defeats as his forces kept moving from place to place and avoiding any permanent location. No sooner had the expedition left the area, than the news travelled fast among the Somali nomads across the plain. The war had exposed the British administration to humiliation. The government came to
728-437: A government and a permanent population), but whose statehood is not recognised by any other states. Non-recognition is often a result of conflicts with other countries that claim those entities as integral parts of their territory. In other cases, two or more partially recognised states may claim the same territorial area, with each of them de facto in control of a portion of it (for example, North Korea and South Korea , or
832-493: A gradual transfer of power. The arrangement would allow local politicians to gain more political experience in running the protectorate before official independence. However, strong pan-Somali nationalism and a landslide victory in the earlier elections encouraged them to demand independence and unification with the Trust Territory of Somaliland under Italian Administration (the former Italian Somaliland ). In May 1960,
936-643: A joint conference in Mogadishu . On 26 June 1960, the former British Somaliland protectorate briefly obtained independence as the State of Somaliland, with the Trust Territory of Somaliland following suit five days later. During its brief period of independence, the State of Somaliland garnered recognition from thirty-five sovereign states. However, the United States merely acknowledged Somaliland's independence: The United States did not extend formal recognition to Somaliland, but Secretary of State Herter sent
1040-587: A man translated to Punt, or like someone out in the reedflats, when the world suddenly bursts into flower." At times, the ancient Egyptians called Punt Ta netjer ( tꜣ nṯr ), meaning "God's Land". This referred to the fact that it was among the regions of the Sun God , that is, the regions located in the direction of the sunrise, to the East of Egypt. These eastern regions' resources included products used in temples, notably incense. Older literature maintained that
1144-482: A police force, and eventually on 7 July found Sheikh Bashir and his unit in defensive positions behind their fortifications in the mountains of Bur Dhab. After clashes Sheikh Bashir and his second-in-command, Alin Yusuf Ali, nicknamed Qaybdiid, were killed. A third rebel was wounded and was captured along with two other rebels. The rest fled the fortifications and dispersed. On the British side the police general leading
SECTION 10
#17327649462351248-403: A state as a person of international law only if it is recognised as such by other states that are already a member of the international community. Quasi-states often reference either or both doctrines in order to legitimise their claims to statehood. There are, for example, entities which meet the declarative criteria (with de facto partial or complete control over their claimed territory,
1352-706: Is Hargeisa . Various Somali Muslim kingdoms were established in the area during the early Islamic period, including in the 14th to 15th centuries the Zeila-based Adal Sultanate . In the early modern period, successor states to the Adal Sultanate emerged, including the Isaaq Sultanate which was established in the middle of the 18th century. In the late 19th century, the United Kingdom signed agreements with various clans in
1456-523: Is considered the most substantial and accessible ruin of its type in Somaliland. The main feature of the ruined city is a large rectangular mosque, its 3-metre high walls still standing, which include a mihrab and possibly several smaller arched niches. Swedish-Somali archaeologist Sada Mire dates the ruined city to the 15th–17th centuries. In the early modern period, successor states to the Adal Sultanate began to flourish in Somaliland. These included
1560-584: Is one such state, as it maintains unofficial relations with many other states through its Economic and Cultural Offices , which allow regular consular services. This allows Taiwan to have economic relations even with states that do not formally recognise it. A total of 56 states, including Germany, Italy, the United States, and the United Kingdom, maintain some form of unofficial mission in Taiwan. Kosovo , Northern Cyprus , Abkhazia , Transnistria ,
1664-460: Is possible that it includes or corresponds to Opone , as later known by the ancient Greeks , while some biblical scholars have identified it with the biblical land of Put or Havilah . At times Punt is referred to as Ta netjer ( tꜣ nṯr ), lit. ' Land of the God ' . The exact location of Punt is debated by historians. Various locations have been offered, southeast of Egypt ,
1768-455: Is proposed they fly via Perim, confining sea crossing to 12 miles. We propose to inflict fine of 2,500 camels on implicated sections, who are practically isolated and demand surrender of man who killed Gibbs. He is known. Fine to be doubled in failure to comply with latter conditions and aeroplanes to be used to bomb stock on grazing grounds. Sir Winston Churchill reporting on the Burao incident at
1872-526: Is the early Pandyan island of Tamraparni , present day Sri Lanka . An artifact datable to the Fifth Dynasty was originally stated to be made from Diospyros ebenum wood, a tree which is originally of Southern India and Sri Lanka. However, such identification is now considered unconfirmed because of the unlikelihood of such an early contact between Egypt and the Indian subcontinent, together with
1976-601: Is the largest unrecognised state in the world by de facto controlled land area. It is a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization , an advocacy group whose members consist of indigenous peoples, minorities and unrecognised or occupied territories. The name Somaliland is derived from two words: " Somali " and "land". The area was named when Britain took control from the Egyptian administration in 1884, after signing successive treaties with
2080-569: The 18th dynasty Queen Hatshepsut is recorded on the temple reliefs at Deir el-Bahari , during the reign of the Puntite King Parahu and Queen Ati. In 2015, isotopic analysis of ancient baboon mummies from Punt that had been brought to Egypt as gifts indicated that the specimens likely originated from an area encompassing eastern Somalia and the Eritrea-Ethiopia corridor. The camel is believed to have been domesticated in
2184-593: The 4th millennium BC E. The stone implements from the Jalelo site in the north were also characterised in 1909 as important artefacts demonstrating the archaeological universality during the Paleolithic between the East and the West. According to linguists, the first Afroasiatic -speaking populations arrived in the region during the ensuing Neolithic period from the family's proposed urheimat ("original homeland") in
SECTION 20
#17327649462352288-646: The Eidagale clan. The sultanate is the pre-colonial predecessor to the modern Republic of Somaliland. According to oral tradition, prior to the Guled dynasty the Isaaq clan-family were ruled by a dynasty of the Tolje'lo branch descending from Ahmed nicknamed Tol Je'lo, the eldest son of Sheikh Ishaaq 's Harari wife. There were eight Tolje'lo rulers in total, starting with Boqor Harun ( Somali : Boqor Haaruun ) who ruled
2392-908: The Ethiopians and Italians . During the First World War (1914–1918), Hassan also received aid from the Ottomans , Germans and, for a time, from the Emperor Iyasu V of Ethiopia . The conflict ended when the British aerially bombed the Dervish capital of Taleh in February 1920. The Fifth Expedition of the Somaliland campaign in 1920 was the final British expedition against the Dervish forces of Mohammed Abdullah Hassan ,
2496-533: The Gash Group (about 3000 to 1800 BC) and later the Jebel Mokram Group flourished. Especially at Gash Group sites, many Egyptian pottery vessels and Egyptian faience beads were found, indicating close contacts with Egypt. Found Red Sea shells demonstrate contact with the Red Sea coast. A news website in 2023 published evidence that DNA taken from mummified baboons may have shown where Punt
2600-715: The Holy See and Palestine have observer state status in the United Nations. However, some countries that fulfill the declarative criteria, are recognised by the large majority of other states and are members of the United Nations are still included in the list here because one or more other states do not recognise their statehood, due to territorial claims or other conflicts. Some states maintain informal (officially non-diplomatic) relations with states that do not officially recognise them. Taiwan (the Republic of China)
2704-698: The House of Commons : On 25th February the Governor of Somaliland telegraphed that an affray between tribesmen had taken place at Burao on the previous day, in the course of which Captain Allan Gibb, D.S.O., D.C.M., the District Commissioner at Burao, had been shot dead. Captain Gibb had advanced with his interpreter to quell the disturbance, when 1954 fire was opened upon him by some riflemen, and he
2808-610: The Isaaq Genocide or "Hargeisa Holocaust". A United Nations investigation concluded that the crime of genocide was "conceived, planned and perpetrated by the Somali Government against the Isaaq people". The number of civilian casualties is estimated to be between 50,000 and 100,000 according to various sources, while some reports estimate the total civilian deaths to be upwards of 200,000 Isaaq civilians. Along with
2912-523: The Isaaq Sultanate and Habr Yunis Sultanate . The Isaaq Sultanate was a Somali kingdom that ruled parts of the Horn of Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries. It spanned the territories of the Isaaq clan, descendants of the Banu Hashim clan, in modern-day Somaliland and Ethiopia . The sultanate was governed by the Rer Guled branch established by the first sultan, Sultan Guled Abdi , of
3016-768: The Nabataean Kingdom , and the Roman Empire . They used the ancient Somali maritime vessel known as the beden to transport their cargo. After the Roman conquest of the Nabataean Empire and the establishment of a Roman naval presence at Aden to curb piracy, Arab and Somali merchants cooperated with the Romans to bar Indian ships from trading in the free port cities of the Arabian peninsula to protect
3120-563: The Nile Valley , or the Near East . The Laas Geel complex on the outskirts of Hargeisa dates back around 5,000 years, and has rock art depicting both wild animals and decorated cows. Other cave paintings are found in the northern Dhambalin region, which feature one of the earliest known depictions of a hunter on horseback. The rock art is in the distinctive Ethiopian-Arabian style, dated to 1,000 to 3,000 BCE. Additionally, between
3224-573: The Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People's Republic of China ). Entities that are recognised by only a minority of the world's states usually reference the declarative doctrine to legitimise their claims. In many situations, international non-recognition is influenced by the presence of a foreign military force in the territory of the contested entity, making the description of the country's de facto status problematic. The international community can judge this military presence too intrusive, reducing
Somaliland - Misplaced Pages Continue
3328-606: The Sahrawi Republic , Somaliland , and Palestine also host informal diplomatic missions, and/or maintain special delegations or other informal missions abroad. Land of Punt The Land of Punt ( Egyptian : [REDACTED] pwnt ; alternate Egyptological readings Pwene ( t ) /puːnt/ ) was an ancient kingdom known from Ancient Egyptian trade records. It produced and exported gold , aromatic resins , blackwood , ebony , ivory and wild animals. Recent evidence locates it in northwestern Eritrea . It
3432-647: The Sixth , Eleventh , Twelfth and Eighteenth dynasties of Egypt. In the Twelfth Dynasty, trade with Punt was celebrated in popular literature in the Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor . In the reign of Mentuhotep III (11th dynasty, ca. 2000 BC), an officer named Hannu organized one or more voyages to Punt, but it is uncertain whether he personally traveled on these expeditions. Trading missions of
3536-647: The Somali religious leader. Although most of the combat took place in January of the year, British troops had begun preparations for the assault as early as November 1919. The British forces included elements of the Royal Air Force and the Somaliland Camel Corps . After three weeks of battle, Hassan's Dervishes were defeated, bringing an effective end to their 20-year resistance. It was one of
3640-476: The Somali Republic . Inspired by Somali nationalism , the northerners were initially enthusiastic about the union. A government was formed by Abdullahi Issa , with Aden Abdullah Osman Daar as President and Abdirashid Ali Shermarke as Prime Minister (later becoming president, from 1967 to 1969). On 20 July 1961 and through a popular referendum , the Somali people ratified a new constitution, which
3744-487: The 12th dynasty pharaohs Senusret I , Amenemhat II and Amenemhat IV had also successfully navigated their way to and from the mysterious land of Punt. In the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt , Hatshepsut built a Red Sea fleet to facilitate trade between the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and points south as far as Punt to bring mortuary goods to Karnak in exchange for Nubian gold. Hatshepsut personally made
3848-678: The British government stated that it would be prepared to grant independence to the then protectorate of British Somaliland, with the intention that the territory would unite with the Italian-administered Trust Territory of Somaliland. The Legislative Council of British Somaliland passed a resolution in April 1960 requesting independence and union with the Trust Territory of Somaliland, which was scheduled to gain independence on 1 July that year. The legislative councils of both territories agreed to this proposal following
3952-534: The British troops as well as a number of Indian and South African troops perished in the clashes, and a policeman was injured. After his death, Sheikh Bashir was widely hailed by locals as a martyr and was held in great reverence. His family took quick action to remove his body from the place of his death at Geela-eeg mountain, about 20 miles from Burao . Initially the British government planned to delay protectorate of British Somaliland independence in favour of
4056-637: The Colonies , to send troops from Aden and Air Force bombers Burao the revolting clans' livestock. The RAF planes arrived at Burao within two days and proceeded to bomb the town with incendiaries, effectively burning the entire settlement to the ground. Telegram from Sir Geoffrey Archer , Governor of British Somaliland to Sir Winston Churchill the Secretary of State for the Colonies : I deeply regret to inform that during an affray at Burao yesterday between Rer Sugulleh and Akils of other tribes Captain Gibb
4160-702: The Dynastic Period held that the aboriginal home of the Egyptians was Punt...". James Breasted in 1906 argued that the term Ta netjer was not only applied to Punt, located southeast of Egypt, but also to regions of Asia east and northeast of Egypt, such as Lebanon , which was the source of wood for temples. On the murals of the Hatshepsut temple at Deir el-Bahri, the King and Queen of Punt are depicted along with their retinue. Due to her unusual appearance,
4264-654: The Egyptian reliefs and paintings". According to Simon Najovits, the area comprising Somalia , Djibouti , the Red Sea coast of Eritrea and Sudan in the Horn of Africa is considered the most likely location. In 2010, researchers from the University of California, Santa Cruz analyzed hair from two mummified baboons using oxygen isotope analysis and were able to work out where they originated. The researchers compared
Somaliland - Misplaced Pages Continue
4368-424: The Egyptian tradition of trading with Punt. The trade with Punt continued into the start of the 20th dynasty before terminating prior to the end of Egypt's New Kingdom . Papyrus Harris I , a contemporary Egyptian document that details events that occurred in the reign of the early 20th dynasty king Ramesses III , includes an explicit description of an Egyptian expedition's return from Punt: They arrived safely at
4472-473: The Horn region sometime between the 2nd and 3rd millennium BCE. From there, it spread to Egypt and the Maghreb . During the classical period, the northern Barbara city-states of Mosylon , Opone , Mundus , Isis , Malao , Avalites , Essina , Nikon , and Sarapion developed a lucrative trade network, connecting with merchants from Ptolemaic Egypt , Ancient Greece , Phoenicia , Parthian Persia , Saba ,
4576-589: The Isaaq Sultanate for centuries starting from the 13th century. The last Tolje'lo ruler Garad Dhuh Barar ( Somali : Dhuux Baraar ) was overthrown by a coalition of Isaaq clans. The once strong Tolje'lo clan were scattered and took refuge among the Habr Awal with whom they still mostly live. The Sultan of Isaaq regularly convened shirs (meetings) where he would be informed and advised by leading elders or religious figures on what decisions to make. In
4680-440: The Isaaq clan. This led to anarchy and violent campaigns by fragmented militias, which then wrested power at a local level. The Barre regime's persecution was not limited to the Isaaq, as it targeted other clans such as the Hawiye . The Barre regime collapsed in January 1991. Thereafter, as the political situation in Somaliland stabilised, the displaced people returned to their homes, the militias were demobilised or incorporated into
4784-418: The Protectorate. James Lawrence author of Imperial Rearguard: Wars of Empire writes [Gibb]..was murdered by rioters during a protest against taxation at Burao. Governor Archer immediately called for aircraft which were at Burao within two days. The inhabitants of the native township were turned out of their houses, and the entire area was razed by a combination of bombing, machine-gun fire and burning. After
4888-434: The Queen was sometimes hypothesized to have had advanced steatopygia or elephantiasis . The majority opinion places Punt in the Horn of Africa , based on the fact that the products of Punt (as depicted in the Hatshepsut illustrations) were abundantly found in the Horn of Africa but were less common or sometimes absent in Arabia. These products included gold and aromatic resins such as myrrh , frankincense , and ebony ;
4992-426: The RAF aircraft bombed Burao to the ground, the leaders of the rebellion acquiesced, agreeing to pay a fine for Gibb's death, but they refused to identify and apprehend the accused individuals. Most of the men responsible for Gibb's shooting evaded capture. In light of the failure to implement the taxation without provoking a violent response, the British abandoned the policy altogether. The 1945 Sheikh Bashir Rebellion
5096-443: The Red Sea was carried out. A report of that five-ship voyage survives on reliefs in Hatshepsut's mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri . Throughout the temple texts, Hatshepsut "maintains the fiction that her envoy" Chancellor Nehsi , who is mentioned as the head of the expedition, had travelled to Punt "in order to extract tribute from the natives" who admit their allegiance to the Egyptian pharaoh. In reality, Nehsi's expedition
5200-513: The Somali peninsula. Ancient Somaliland had a trading relationship with ancient Egypt and Mycenaean Greece dating back to at least the second millennium BCE, supporting the hypothesis that Somalia or adjacent regions were the location of the ancient Land of Punt . The Puntites traded myrrh , spices, gold, ebony, short-horned cattle, ivory and frankincense with the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Babylonians , Indians, Chinese and Romans through their commercial ports. An Egyptian expedition sent to Punt by
5304-424: The area in the early Islamic period. In the 14th century, the Zeila -based Adal Sultanate battled the forces of the Ethiopian emperor Amda Seyon I . The Ottoman Empire later occupied Berbera and environs in the 1500s. Muhammad Ali , Pasha of Egypt , subsequently established a foothold in the area between 1821 and 1841. The Sanaag region is home to the ruined Islamic city of Maduna near El Afweyn , which
SECTION 50
#17327649462355408-456: The area, establishing the Somaliland Protectorate , which was formally granted independence by the United Kingdom as the State of Somaliland on 26 June 1960. Five days later, the State of Somaliland voluntarily united with the Trust Territory of Somalia (the former Italian Somalia) to form the Somali Republic . The union of the two states proved problematic early on, and in response to the harsh policies enacted by Somalia's Barre regime against
5512-448: The army, and tens of thousands of houses and businesses were reconstructed from rubble. List of states with limited recognition A number of polities have declared independence and sought diplomatic recognition from the international community as sovereign states , but have not been universally recognised as such. These entities often have de facto control of their territory. A number of such entities have existed in
5616-662: The best-kept secret of Arab and Somali merchants in their trade with the Roman and Greek world; the Romans and Greeks believed the source to have been the Somali peninsula. The collaboration between Somali and Arab traders inflated the price of Indian and Chinese cinnamon in North Africa, the Near East, and Europe, and made the spice trade profitable, especially for the Somali merchants through whose hands large quantities were shipped across sea and land routes. In 2007, more rock art sites with Sabaean and Himyarite writings in and around Hargeisa were found, but some were bulldozed by developers. Various Somali Muslim kingdoms were established in
5720-481: The bloodiest and longest militant movements in sub-Saharan Africa during the colonial era, one that overlapped with World War I. The battles between various sides over two decades killed nearly a third of Somaliland's population and ravaged the local economy. The Italian conquest of British Somaliland was a military campaign in East Africa, which took place in August 1940 between forces of Italy and those of several British and Commonwealth countries. The Italian attack
5824-451: The case of the Dervish movement , Sultan Deria Hassan had chosen not to join after receiving counsel from Sheikh Madar . He addressed early tensions between the Saad Musa and Eidagale upon the former's settlement into the growing town of Hargeisa in the late 19th century. The Sultan was also responsible for organising grazing rights and, in the late 19th century, new agricultural spaces. The allocation of resources and sustainable use of them
5928-411: The city apart from its airport by 1 June. According to Abou Jeng and other scholars, the Barre regime rule was marked by a targeted brutal persecution of the Isaaq clan. Mohamed Haji Ingiriis and Chris Mullin state that the clampdown by the Barre regime against the Hargeisa-based Somali National Movement targeted the Isaaq clan, to which most members of the SNM belonged. They refer to the clampdown as
6032-428: The deaths, Barre regime bombarded and razed the second and third largest cities in Somalia, Hargeisa and Burao , respectively. This displaced an estimated 400,000 local residents to Hart Sheik in Ethiopia; another 400,000 individuals were also internally displaced. The counterinsurgency by the Barre regime against the SNM targeted the rebel group's civilian base of support, escalating into a genocidal onslaught against
6136-582: The desert-country of Coptos : they moored in peace, carrying the goods they had brought. [The goods] were loaded, in travelling overland, upon asses and upon men, being reloaded into vessels at the harbour of Coptos. [The goods and the Puntites] were sent forward downstream, arriving in festivity, bringing tribute into the royal presence. After the end of the New Kingdom period, Punt became "an unreal and fabulous land of myths and legends." However, Egyptians continued to compose love songs about Punt, "When I hold my love close, and her arms steal around me, I'm like
6240-412: The east coast of the Red Sea. A 2005 expedition to Mersa/Wadi Gawasis , Egypt by archaeologist Kathryn Bard found remains of Egyptian seagoing vessels and hieroglyphic texts on stelae about royal expeditions to Punt, including cedar planks from Queen Hatshepsut's expedition in te 15th century BCE, demonstrating that Mersa/Wadi Gawasis was the port in Egypt from which trade to Punt some 1200 km south on
6344-406: The entity to a puppet state where effective sovereignty is retained by the foreign power. Historical cases in this sense can be seen in Japanese -led Manchukuo or the German -created Slovak Republic and Independent State of Croatia before and during World War II . In the 1996 case Loizidou v. Turkey , the European Court of Human Rights judged Turkey for having exercised authority in
SECTION 60
#17327649462356448-455: The evening of 3 July, the group entered Burao and opened fire on the police guard of the central prison in the city, which was filled with prisoners arrested for previous demonstrations. The group also attacked the house of the district commissioner of Burao District , Major Chambers, resulting in the death of Major Chamber's police guard before escaping to Bur Dhab, a strategic mountain south-east of Burao, where Sheikh Bashir's small unit occupied
6552-413: The five regions of Greater Somalia . The area of Somaliland was inhabited around 10,000 years ago during the Neolithic age . The ancient shepherds raised cows and other livestock and created vibrant rock art paintings. During the Stone Age , the Doian and Hargeisan cultures flourished here. The oldest evidence of burial customs in the Horn of Africa comes from cemeteries in Somaliland dating back to
6656-488: The formal treaties the British signed with the henceforth 'British Somaliland' clans, which took place between 1884 and 1886 (treaties were signed with the Habar Awal, Gadabursi, Habar Toljaala, Habar Garhajis, Esa, and the Warsangali clans), and paved the way for the British to establish a protectorate in the region referred to as British Somaliland . The British garrisoned the protectorate from Aden and administered it as part of British India until 1898. British Somaliland
6760-408: The government of the Republic of Somaliland. The central government maintains informal ties with some foreign governments, who have sent delegations to Hargeisa; Somaliland hosts representative offices from several countries, including Ethiopia and Taiwan . However, Somaliland's self-proclaimed independence has not been officially recognised by any UN member state or international organisation. It
6864-415: The interests of Somali and Arab merchants in the lucrative commerce between the Red and Mediterranean Seas. However, Indian merchants continued to trade in the port cities of the Somali peninsula, which was free from Roman interference. For centuries, Indian merchants brought large quantities of cinnamon to Somalia and Arabia from Ceylon and the Spice Islands . The source of the spices is said to have been
6968-459: The label "God's Land", when interpreted as "Holy Land" or "Land of the gods/ancestors", meant that the ancient Egyptians viewed the Land of Punt as their ancestral homeland. W. M. Flinders Petrie believed that the Dynastic Race came from or through Punt and that "Pan, or Punt, was a district at the south end of the Red Sea, which probably embraced both the African and Arabian shores." Moreover, E. A. Wallis Budge stated that "Egyptian tradition of
7072-413: The leading Sultan of Isaaq there were numerous Akils, Garaads and subordinate Sultans alongside religious authorities that constituted the Sultanate; occasionally these would declare their independence or simply break from its authority. The Isaaq Sultanate had 5 rulers prior to the creation of British Somaliland in 1884. Historically, Sultans would be chosen by a committee of several important members of
7176-743: The long voyage to Punt must have seemed something akin to a journey to the moon for present-day explorers... the rewards of [obtaining frankincense, ebony and myrrh] clearly outweighed the risks." An extensive account of the expedition, based on the tableaux, was provided by Amelia Edwards in 1891. According to Stuart Tyson Smith , Egyptologist and professor of anthropology at University of California, Santa Barbara , "The scene of an expedition to Punt from Queen Hatshepsuis mortuary complex at Deir el-Bahri shows Puntites with red skin and facial features similar to Egyptians, long or bobbed hair, goatee beards, and kilts". Hatshepsut's 18th dynasty successors, such as Thutmose III and Amenhotep III , also continued
7280-431: The main clan family in Somaliland, the Isaaq , shortly after the conclusion of the disastrous Ogaden War , a 10-year war of independence concluded with the declaration of Somaliland's independence in 1991. The Government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to British Somaliland . Since 1991, the territory has been governed by democratically elected governments that seek international recognition as
7384-422: The mid-1980s, resistance movements supported by Ethiopia's communist Derg administration had sprung up across the country, which led to the Somaliland War of Independence . Barre responded by ordering punitive measures against those he perceived as locally supporting the guerrillas, especially in the northern regions. The clampdown included bombing of cities, with the northwestern administrative centre of Hargeisa,
7488-533: The most famous ancient Egyptian expedition that sailed to Punt. Her artists revealing much about the royals, inhabitants, habitation and variety of trees on the island, revealing it as the "Land of the Gods, a region far to the east in the direction of the sunrise, blessed with products for religious purposes", where traders returned with gold, ivory, ebony , incense , aromatic resins, animal skins, live animals, eye-makeup cosmetics, fragrant woods, and cinnamon. During
7592-543: The mummified baboons were all born outside of Egypt and were hamadryas baboons . The hamadryas baboon is a species of baboon native to the Horn of Africa and the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. The strontium ration in the tooth enamel confirmed that the baboons were born in an area stretching across present day Eritrea , Ethiopia and north western Somalia . It has been suggested that Punt might be located in eastern Sudan and western Eritrea where
7696-480: The murder. On 27th February the Governor telegraphed that, to meet the situation which had arisen, he required two aeroplanes for purposes of demonstration, and suggested that two aeroplanes from the Royal Air Force Detachment at Aden should fly over to Berber a from Aden. He also telegraphed that in certain circumstances it might become necessary to ask for reinforcements of troops to be sent to
7800-646: The only depiction of a secretary bird ( Sagittarius serpentarius ) known from ancient Egypt in the Bas-reliefs from the Portico of Punt that depicted the great Pharaonic expedition to the Land of Punt. In December 2020, primatologists from Dartmouth College examined tissues from mummified baboons recovered from New Kingdom and Ptolemaic sites in Egypt that were believed to have come from Punt. The study revealed that
7904-640: The oxygen isotope samples in the ancient baboons to those found in their modern-day brethren. The isotope samples in baboons in Somalia and Yemen did not match, but those in Eritrea and eastern Ethiopia did match. The research team concluded that Punt was most likely a circumscribed region that included eastern Ethiopia and all of Eritrea. In June 2018, Polish archaeologists who have been conducting research in The Temple of Hatshepsut since 1961 discovered
8008-421: The past. There are two traditional theories used to indicate how a sovereign state comes into being. The declarative theory (codified in the 1933 Montevideo Convention ) defines a state as a person in international law if it meets the following criteria: According to the declarative theory, an entity's statehood is independent of its recognition by other states. By contrast, the constitutive theory defines
8112-464: The reign of Queen Hatshepsut in the 15th century BC, ships regularly crossed the Red Sea in order to obtain bitumen , copper, carved amulets, naptha and other goods transported overland and down the Dead Sea to Elat at the head of the gulf of Aqaba where they were joined with frankincense and myrrh coming north both by sea and overland along trade routes through the mountains running north along
8216-478: The ruling Somali Sultans from the Isaaq , Issa , Gadabursi , and Warsangali clans. The British established a protectorate in the region referred to as British Somaliland . In 1960, when the protectorate became independent from Britain, it was called the State of Somaliland . Five days later, on 1 July 1960, Somaliland united with the Trust Territory of Somaliland under Italian Administration (the former Italian Somaliland ). The name "Republic of Somaliland"
8320-669: The south are in the minority, but they are the only ones cited in the current consensus about the location of the country. Punt, we are told by the Egyptians, is situated – in relation to the Nile Valley – both to the north, in contact with the countries of the Near East of the Mediterranean area, and also to the east or south-east, while its furthest borders are far away to the south. Only the Arabian Peninsula satisfies all these indications." Some scholars have argued that Punt
8424-620: The temple reliefs, the Land of Punt was ruled at that time by King Parahu and Queen Ati. This well illustrated expedition of Hatshepsut occurred in Year 9 of the female pharaoh's reign with the blessing of the god Amun : Said by Amen, the Lord of the Thrones of the Two Land: "Come, come in peace my daughter, the graceful, who art in my heart, King Maatkare [i.e. Hatshepsut]... I will give thee Punt,
8528-491: The term Punt probably applied more to African than Arabian territory." In 2003, Ian Shaw wrote that "There is still some debate regarding the precise location of Punt, which was once identified with the region of modern Somalia. A strong argument has now been made for its location in either southern Sudan or the Eritrean region of Ethiopia, where the indigenous plants and animals equate most closely with those depicted in
8632-419: The territory of Northern Cyprus . There are also entities that do not have control over any territory or do not unequivocally meet the declarative criteria for statehood but have been recognised to exist as sovereign entities by at least one other state. Historically, this has happened in the case of the Holy See (1870–1929); Estonia , Latvia , and Lithuania (during Soviet annexation); and Palestine at
8736-626: The time of its declaration of independence in 1988. The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is currently in this position . See list of governments in exile for unrecognised governments without control over the territory claimed. State practice relating to the recognition of a country typically falls somewhere between the declarative theory and constitutive theory approaches. The criteria for inclusion on this list are limited to polities that claim sovereignty , lack recognition from at least one UN member state , and either: There are 193 United Nations (UN) member states , while both
8840-623: The tip of the Horn of Africa is named in honor of this ancient kingdom. The earliest recorded ancient Egyptian expedition to Punt was organized by Pharaoh Sahure of the Fifth Dynasty (25th century BC), returning with cargoes of antyue and Puntites. However, gold from Punt is recorded as having been in Egypt as early as the time of Pharaoh Khufu of the Fourth Dynasty . Subsequently, there were more expeditions to Punt in
8944-472: The towns of Las Khorey and El Ayo in eastern Somaliland lies Karinhegane , the site of numerous cave paintings of real and mythical animals. Each painting has an inscription below it, which collectively have been estimated to be around 2,500 years old. Ancient pyramidical structures, mausoleums , ruined cities and stone walls, such as the Wargaade Wall , are evidence of civilisations thriving in
9048-413: The tribes in the vicinity, which kept them from raiding each other. He was generally thought to settle disputes through the use of Islamic Sharia and gathered around him a strong following. The British administration recruited Indian and South African troops, led by police general James David, to fight against Sheikh Bashir and had intelligence plans to capture him alive. The British authorities mobilised
9152-471: The union plummeted. British-trained Somaliland officers attempted a revolt to end the union in December 1961 . Their uprising failed, and Somaliland continued to be marginalised by the south during the next decades. In 1967, Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal became Prime Minister, a position to which he was appointed by Shermarke. Shermarke was assassinated two years later by one of his own bodyguards. His murder
9256-510: The various Isaaq subclans. Sultans were usually buried at Toon , south of Hargeisa, which was a significant site and the capital of the Sultanate during Farah Guled 's rule. The first engagement between Somalis of the region and the British was in 1825 and led to hostilities, ending in the Battle of Berbera and a subsequent trade agreement between the Habr Awal and the United Kingdom. This
9360-406: The whole of it... I will lead your soldiers by land and by water, on mysterious shores, which join the harbours of incense... They will take incense as much as they like. They will load their ships to the satisfaction of their hearts with trees of green [i.e., fresh] incense, and all the good things of the land." While the Egyptians "were not particularly well versed in the hazards of sea travel, and
9464-458: The wild animals depicted in Punt included giraffes , baboons , hippopotami , and leopards . Richard Pankhurst states: "[Punt] has been identified with territory on both the Arabian and the Horn of Africa coasts. Consideration of the articles that the Egyptians obtained from Punt, notably gold and ivory, suggests, however, that these were primarily of African origin. ... This leads us to suppose that
9568-504: Was a rebellion waged by tribesmen of the Habr Je'lo clan in the former British Somaliland protectorate against British authorities in July 1945 led by Sheikh Bashir , a Somali religious leader. On 2 July, Sheikh Bashir collected 25 of his followers in the town of Wadamago and transported them on a lorry to the vicinity of Burao , where he distributed arms to half of his followers. On
9672-500: Was a simple trading mission to a land, Punt, which was by this time a well-established trading post. Moreover, Nehsi's visit to Punt was not inordinately brave since he was "accompanied by at least five shiploads of [Egyptian] marines" and greeted warmly by the chief of Punt and his immediate family. The Puntites "traded not only in their own produce of incense, ebony and short-horned cattle, but [also] in goods from other African states including gold, ivory and animal skins." According to
9776-648: Was adopted upon the declaration of independence following the Somali Civil War in 1991. At the Grand conference in Burao held in 1991 many names for the country were suggested, including Puntland , in reference to Somaliland's location in the ancient Land of Punt and which is now the name of the Puntland state in neighbouring Somalia, and Shankaroon , meaning "better than five" in Somali , in reference to
9880-555: Was also a matter that Sultans concerned themselves with and was crucial in this arid region. In the 1870s, at a famous meeting between Sheikh Madar and Sultan Deria, it was proclaimed that hunting and tree cutting in the vicinity of Hargeisa would be banned, and that the holy relics from Aw Barkhadle would be brought and oaths would be sworn on them by the Isaaqs in the presence of the Sultan whenever internal combat broke out. Aside from
9984-425: Was first drafted in 1960. The constitution had little support in the former Somaliland and was believed to favour the south. Many northerners boycotted the referendum in protest, and over 60% of those who voted in the north were against the new constitution. Regardless, the referendum passed, and Somaliland became quickly dominated by southerners. As result, dissatisfaction became widespread in the north, and support for
10088-462: Was followed by a British treaty with the Governor of Zeila in 1840. An engagement was then started between the British and elders of Habar Garhajis and Habar Toljaala clans of the Isaaq in 1855, followed a year later by the conclusion of the "Articles of Peace and Friendship" between the Habar Awal and East India Company . These engagements between the British and Somali clans culminated in
10192-405: Was in Eritrea . A primarily German team of researchers published the results of extracting mitochondrial DNA from a mummified baboon. By comparing that with mitochondrial DNA extracted from 14 museum specimen baboons from the 19th and 20th centuries with known provenances, they concluded that the mummified baboon came from modern-day Eritrea. As the mummified baboon dates from a period when Egypt
10296-452: Was instantly killed. The murderers escaped under cover of falling darkness. Captain Gibb was an officer of long and valued service in Somaliland, whose loss I deeply regret. From the information available, his murder does not appear to have been premeditated, but it inevitably had a disturbing effect upon the surrounding tribes, and immediate dispositions of troops became necessary to ensure the apprehension and punishment of those responsible for
10400-516: Was part of the East African campaign . The people of Burao clashed with the British in 1922. They revolted in opposition to a new tax that was imposed upon them, rioting and attacking British government officials. This led to a shootout between the British and Burao residents in which Captain Allan Gibb, a Dervish war veteran and district commissioner, was shot and killed. The British requested Sir Winston Churchill , then Secretary of State for
10504-544: Was quickly followed by a military coup d'état on 21 October 1969 (the day after his funeral), in which the Somalian Army seized power without encountering armed opposition. The putsch was spearheaded by Major General Mohamed Siad Barre , who at the time commanded the army. The new regime would go on to rule Somalia for the next 22 years. The moral authority of Barre's government was gradually eroded, as many Somalis became disillusioned with life under military rule. By
10608-528: Was shot dead. Having called out Camel corps company to quell the disturbance, he went forward himself with his interpreter, whereupon fire opened on him by some Rer segulleh riflemen and he was instantly killed..Miscreants then disappeared under the cover of darkness. To meet the situation created by the Murder of Gibb, we require two aeroplanes for about fourteen days. I have arranged with resident, Aden, for these. And made formal application, which please confirm. It
10712-747: Was then administered by the Foreign Office until 1905, and afterwards by the Colonial Office . The Somaliland Campaign, also called the Anglo-Somali War or the Dervish War, was a series of military expeditions that took place between 1900 and 1920 in the Horn of Africa , pitting the Dervishes led by Mohammed Abdullah Hassan (nicknamed the "Mad Mullah") against the British . The British were assisted in their offensives by
10816-449: Was trading with Punt, it may be assumed to come from there, and the authors suggested (but were unable to prove) that Punt is likely to be the same as the later- classical port city of Adulis . Dimitri Meeks disagrees with the Horn of Africa hypothesis and points to ancient inscriptions that locate Punt in the western coast of the Arabian Peninsula, from the Gulf of Aqaba to Yemen, he has written that "Texts locating Punt beyond doubt to
#234765