Independence Day in Somaliland (Arabic:عيد استقلال أرض الصومال) is an annual celebration held on 18 May in Somaliland to mark the polity's declaration of independence from the Somali Democratic Republic,[1] a unilateral proclamation which remains unrecognized the world over.[2] Although internationally seen only as an autonomous area of Somalia,[3] the territory's self-declared independence has endured, and the twentieth anniversary was celebrated in 2011 at the National Palace in Hargeisa, Somaliland's capital, with shops closing down for the day.[4]
| Independence Day عيد استقلال أرض الصومال | |
|---|---|
 Somali women at independence day celebrations with the flag of Somaliland | |
| Observed by | Somaliland |
| Type | National Day |
| Significance | Mark the Republic of Somaliland's Restoration of sovereignty and end of the unity with Somali Democratic Republic in 1991. |
| Celebrations | Flag hoisting, parades, award ceremonies, singing patriotic songs and the national anthem, speeches by the President and Vice President, entertainment and cultural programs. |
| Date | 18 May |
| Next time | 18 May 2025 |
| Frequency | annual |
Gallery
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Independence monument in Hargeisa, Somaliland
References
edit- ^ "Somaliland Celebrates 20 Years of Self-Declared Independence". Voice of America. 18 May 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
- ^ Human Rights Watch (Organization), Chris Albin-Lackey, "Hostages to peace": threats to human rights and democracy in Somaliland, (Human Rights Watch: 2009), p.43.
- ^ Somaliland’s Quest for International Recognition and the HBM-SSC Factor Archived May 28, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Gebreselassie, Elias (23 May 2011). "Somalia: Unrecognised Somaliland Celebrates 20 Years of Self-Rule". AllAfrica.com. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
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