In April 2019 I travelled to Somalia, followed by Ethiopia, followed by Somaliland. Somaliland is a breakaway region of Somalia that fought for independence in the late 1980s. Somaliland is not yet officially recognised as a country, despite the fact they have their own government, flag and currency. The ‘country’ is regarded as much more peaceful and safe than neighbouring Somalia.
I only spent a couple of days in Hargeisa and the surrounds. Exploring the caves of Las Geel and visiting the local camel market were particular highlights.
There is a monument to the civil war in the city which is particularly striking, a MiG-17 fighter jet, and I managed to sketch below.