About Somaliland
About 6.2 million people call the region home. The people are primarily Muslim and have a rich poetry, music, and traditional arts heritage. Somalilanders are known for their resilience and entrepreneurial spirit.
Somaliland covers 176 thousand square kilometres. Geographically, it is situated in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Ethiopia to the south and west, Djibouti to the north-west, and the Gulf of Aden to the north. Its terrain consists of plateaus, plains, and some mountain ranges. The region experiences a hot, arid climate with distinct wet and dry seasons.
Somaliland is an autonomous region inside of Somalia that declared independence in 1991 following the collapse of the central government. Despite seeking recognition as a separate state, it is not yet recognized internationally as such. Instead, it operates as a self-declared republic with its own government institutions, including a president and parliament.
The political system in Somaliland combines traditional clan-based governance structures with modern democratic institutions, making it relatively stable. The government of Somaliland has been focused on state-building efforts, including maintaining security, providing essential services, and promoting economic development.
Progress
DeepGEO has converted a memorandum of understanding into a partnership agreement that sets the framework and milestones for developing a multinational repository in the region. This makes Somaliland the most advanced region for hosting a multinational repository.
The DeepGEO Somaliland team is currently involved with a taskforce of policy-makers that are making progress on specific challenges that stand in the way of repository development. The team is also in the process of building a suite of communication tools that will help in gaining and maintaining broad public acceptance of a facility.