Invisible State: A Personal Story of Somaliland, A Country That Officially Does Not Exist - Softcover

Gulaid, Jama

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798990445307

Publisher: Asli Press, 2024

Synopsis

Ancient Egyptians revered Somaliland for its frankincense. Colonial Britain held on to the country to secure meat for its military garrison in Aden, and the superpowers jostled for control due to its strategic location at the southern gate of the Red Sea. Independence brought celebrations and a surge of children attending schools. Then, the atmosphere changed with recurrent droughts, military repressions, and wars.

How did the people fare? What challenges did the post-independence generation encounter? What are the social and environmental challenges associated with these upheavals? Jama Gulaid, a career United Nations civil servant and a graduate of local schools, explored these and other questions on his first visit to the country in 35 years.

Invisible State is a candid memoir and a remarkable portrait of an independent nation that remains largely unknown.

About this title

About the Author

JAMA GULAID was born in Isiolo, Kenya in 1953. He received his early education in the northern Somali Republic. Later, he pursued higher education in the United States and completed post-doctoral work at the US Centers for Disease Control. After that, Gulaid worked for the United Nations for more than 27 years in various countries such as Eswatini, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, Ukraine, and the USA. Currently, he resides in Nairobi with his family.

Edition details

• Publisher: Asli Press
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798990445307
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 200