Somaliland Twenty Years Later

This week marks the twentieth anniversary of Somaliland, a region where residents are fiercely proud of their independence from southern Somalia.

It has a population of three and a half million with its own President, flag, military, currency, and parliament, all separate from Somalia and war-torn capital, Mogadishu.

But the international community does not recognize it as an independent African nation.

Here in Connecticut, there are about two hundred families from Somaliland, they call themselves Somalilanders.

WNPR's Lucy Nalpathanchil spoke to Ali Mohamood and Abdi Aden about their homeland and why they want Somaliland to be considered a country.

Local Somalilanders will gather in New Britain, Saturday, May 20, to celebrate twenty years of independence and a peaceful democracy.

The celebration will be at St. George Church at 301 West Main Street.