Somaliland

25 Sep 2009, Somalia --- A man lies on the floor of the mental ward of the Hargeisa Central Hospital, in Hargeisa, Somaliland on Sept. 25, 2009. Unlike southern Somalia, where 18 years of civil war has ravaged the country, Somalilanders have managed to mediate their conflicts. They?ve survived despite the lack of international recognition and a GDP of less than 50 million dollars per year. Today, the fate of Somaliland is less certain. One year ago, several suicide bombers blasted into the presidential Palace, the U.N. compound and the Ethiopian Embassy--Ethiopia being the only country that recognizes Somaliland and is the sole regional ally. Recently, several human rights groups have accused President Dahir Rayale Kahin's government of human rights abuses and of delaying the election, threatening the democratic gains the country had attained since 1991. | Location: Hargeisa, Somaliland Region, Somalia. --- Image by © Stefano De Luigi/VII Network/Corbis