Sanaag

Sanaag (Somali: "Sanaag") is a region ("gobol") in northern Somalia. Sanaag is claimed by the autonomous Somaliland, Puntland, and Maakhir macro regions of Somalia. It was the largest region of the former British Somaliland protectorate. Its capital city is Ceerigaabo (Erigavo).

Sanaag has a long coastline facing the Gulf of Aden to the north and is bordered by the Somali regions of Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sool and Bari.

The most important towns are Ceerigaabo, Badhan, Las Khorey, Dhahar, Ceel Afweyn, Huluul, Fadhi-gaab Hadaaftimo,Mindigale, Xingalool, Yubbe City, Buraan, Damala Xagare, Maydh, Ceelbuh, Gar Adag, Hadaaftimo, Kaladhacda, Laas-doomaare and Awrboogays.

Environment

A severe drought in the region in the early part of the 21st century caused an 80% or greater loss of livestock, though two good rainy seasons in 2004–2005 helped restore the area. Over a 15-year period of analysis, from 1988–2003, there was a 52% loss of forest and a 40% loss of grassland, and a 370% increase in bare land. Soil erosion due to weather and human activities and clearing of wood and brush for such uses as charcoal and fuel are issues leading to a degradation of the environment.cite web
title=Environmental Study of Degradation in the Sool Plateau and Gebi Valley: Sanaag Region of Northern Somalia
url=http://www.hornrelief.org/Study%20Reports/Environmental%20Study%20of%20Degradation%20in%20Sool%20Plateau%20and%20Gebi.pdf
publisher=Horn Relief
month=February | year=2006
accessdate=2007-02-06 |format=PDF]

Territorial dispute

Sanaag is a disputed region, claimed as sovereign territory by the two self-proclaimed but internationally-unrecognized states of Somaliland and Puntland, as well as defined as part of the Somali Republic according to the 2004 Transitional Federal Charter of the Somali Republic of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG).

The dispute between Somaliland and Puntland stems from 1998, when Puntland formed and declared the region as part of its territory.cite web
title=Remarks on the 1998 Charter of Puntland State of Somalia
url=http://www.somaliawatch.org/archivejuly/000812601.htm
date=2000-08-12
publisher=Somalia Watch
accessdate=2007-01-18 ] Prior to that, it had been claimed by Somaliland since the 1991 events of the Somali Civil War.

Beginning in 2003, the forces of Puntland entered and occupied the region based on irredentist desires, due to the large Darod clan population in the area. Somaliland claimed the territory as part of the original bounds of British Somaliland. Fighting between the two forces led to casualties and captured prisoners, who were later exchanged. As a related contention, in 2005 Puntland tried to sell off mineral rights to foreign investors, including the disputed territories of Sool and Sanaag.cite news
title=Somalia's Puntland Sold Exploration Rights In ‎Somaliland
url=http://www.somalilandtimes.net/sl/2005/211/22.shtml
date=2006-02-01
publisher=Somaliland Times
accessdate= ] cite news
title=Somaliland, Puntland Exchange Detainees
url=http://www.somalilandtimes.net/sl/2005/203/21.shtml
date=2005-12-07
publisher=Somaliland Times
accessdate=2007-01-18 ]

The dispute with the TFG stems from the passage of the new Charter in November 2004. However, this was not a pragmatic issue until the military successes of the government in the 2006–2007 war in Somalia. Assertions of sovereignty in January 2007 by the TFG leadership sparked riots in Somaliland, both for and against a reunification with the south.cite news
title=Anti Somalia government protest rages in Somaliland
url=http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/6740
date=2007-01-16
publisher=SomaliNet
accessdate=2007-01-16 ] cite news
title=Pro-government rally take place in northwest Somalia
url=http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne2096.htm
publisher=Shabelle Media Network
date=2007-01-17
accessdate=2007-01-19 ]

In July 1, 2007, the state of Maakhir was declared on the area. It claims independence from both Puntland and Somaliland. [ [http://www.laasqoray.net/view_article.php?articleid=1055 The Formation of The Maakhir State of Somalia] ]

Districts of Sanaag Region

According to the federal government of Somalia, prior to 1991, Sanaag was divided into 5 Districts which are as follows: [Gwillim Law, [http://www.statoids.com/yso.html "Districts of Somalia "] , "Statoids", December 31, 1990]

*Badhan
*Ceel Afwayn
*Ceerigaabo
*Dhahar
*LaasqorayAccording to the Puntland administration, the Sanaag region consists of 10 districts with Badhan being the Capital of the region. The Transitional Federal government also recognizes Puntland as an official state so as as its regions and districts. The Districts of Sanaag are:
*Erigavo
*Hadaaftimo
*Xingalol
*Dhahar
*Buraan
*Xabasha Wacle
*Badhan
*Las Khorey
*Kaladhacda
*Ceelbuh

According to the Somaliland administration, as of July 2002, Sanaag was formally divided into 10 districts, rated "A" through "D" in terms; districts graded "D" were limited, because "their district councils shall not be elected at first local government elections as their borders have not yet been delineated."cite web|title=Republic of Somaliland: Regions and Districts Law (Law No: 23/2002)|url=http://www.somalilandforum.com/somaliland/law/regions_distric_law.html|date=2002-07-29|publisher=Translation of Republic of Somaliland government document|accessdate=2007-02-22 ] Thusly, under the 2005 elections for the lower house of Parliament, Sanaag was described as only having six districts.cite web|title=Somaliland: Elections for the Lower House of Parliament September 2005|url=http://www.humanrights.uio.no/forskning/publ/nr/2006/0306.pdf|month=September | year=2005|publisher=Norwegian Centre for Human Rights/NORDEM|accessdate=2007-02-22 |format=PDF] Here is the list of districts of Sanaag and their "Grade":

*Erigavo (A)
*El-Afweyn (A)
*Badhan (A)
*Lasqoray (A)
*Dhahar (A)
*Gar-adag (C)
*Xingalool (B)
*Ceelbuh (D)
*Buraan (C)
*Hadaaftimo (C)

ee also

*Northern Somali sultanates

Notes

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/~dagmawi/NewsLetter_Jul14.html Ethiopian Internet Newsletter] , "The Eritrea-Ethiopia Conflict Webpage", Issue No. 10
*Gwillim Law, [http://www.statoids.com/yso.html "Districts of Somalia"] , "Statoids", December 31, 1990
*cite web
title = Map of Puntland State
publisher = Puntlandgov
month = October | year = 2006
url = http://www.puntlandgovt.com/map.php
accessdate = 03-16-07
* [http://www.laasqorayport.org/index.asp Laasqorey port]
* [http://www.togdheernews.com/front.html Togdheer News Network ] (in Somaliland).
* [http://www.maakhir.com Makhir.com]
* [http://www.laasqoray.net LaasQoray.net]
* [http://www.radiosanaag.com RadioSanaag.com]
* [http://www.dhahar.com Dhahar.com]
* [http://www.allSanaag.com AllSanaag.com]
* [http://www.allkismaayo.com Kismaayo]
* [http://www.gibbonsstampmonthly.com/Journals/GSM/Gibbons_Stamp_Monthly/July_2005/attachments/jlsomaliland.pdf The Birth of the Somaliland Protectorate's own Postage Stamps] (PDF file).
* [http://www.puntlandgovt.com/map.php puntlandgovt]
* [http://www.somalilandgov.com/slmap.htm somalilandgov]