Internationally recognized as being a region of Somalia rather than a separate country.

In 1988, a massacre against the people of Somaliland was committed, which were among the events that led to the Somali Civil War. The war left the economic and military infrastructure severely damaged. After the collapse of the central government in 1991, the local government declared independence from the rest of Somalia, however, Somaliland's self-proclaimed independence remains unrecognised by any country or international organisation.