As president of Somaliland I wish the conference well, but we cannot attend an event that ignores our history and our reality The Horn of Africa has for too long been one of the world's most troubled regions. It has been defined, for good reason, by conflict, repression, famine, terrorism and piracy. So it is a sign of hope that 50 countries and organisations will meet in London this week to discuss how to help the new government of Somalia forge a better future for its citizens. This high-profile conference shows Somalia is getting international attention. The new government needs…

HARGEISA, Somaliland — The world’s most famous prehistoric art is in caverns in Europe, but the most recently discovered ancient cave paintings are in a country no other nation recognizes in a region of Africa associated mostly with terrorism, pirates and famine. The Laas Geel cave paintings in Somaliland in the Horn of Africa are not as old or famous as the art in France’s Lascaux or Spain’s Altamira caves, but the quality is just as good, archaeologists say. Unlike the European caves, however, Laas Geel has no chance of international protection as a site on the UNESCO World Heritage…

Oslo, 23 April 2013 - DNO International ASA ("DNO International"), the Norwegian oil and gas company, announced today that it has entered into a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) covering Block SL18 onshore Somaliland. The President of Somaliland, Ahmed M. Mohamoud Silanyo, and DNO International's Executive Chairman, Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani, attended the signing ceremony in Washington, D.C. yesterday. "This 12,000 square kilometer block adds substantial exploration acreage to DNO International's portfolio and in an area that is both prospective and undrilled," said Mossavar-Rahmani. He added that Somaliland falls within the Company's geographic and geological comfort zones. "We have been active across the…

While Muslims and Jews came to Mexico early in the colonial period as ‘false Christians,’ approximately half the Muslims in Mexico today are among the rising number of converts, or reverts. Against the backdrop of the ongoing violent gang wars in Tijuana, a city on the Mexican-US border, conversions to Islam are rapidly increasing among the local residents. Statistics gathered by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life suggest that there were about 110,000 Muslims in Mexico in 2009. As the number of mosques has increased to two with the rise in the Muslim population, the newly built Islam…