2 African cities that rose from the ashes to become peaceful and prosperous havens

Hargeisa

According to international cities of peace and crazy tourist, Hargeisa is a safe bet when looking for a place to lodge or visit in Somaliland.

Hargeisa is a city situated in the Woqooyi Galbeed region of the self-declared but internationally unrecognized Republic of Somaliland in the Horn of Africa.

It was among the cities in the country to suffer the consequences of the attempted 1978 coup d’etat against Major General Mohamed Siad Barre, who summarily executed people allegedly involved in the coup.

In the 1980s, it was captured by an insurgent group, leading to air strikes by government forces. The bombing raids and crossfire that followed not only killed many but also destroyed a big part of the city.

The city, which was part of the Adal Sultanate, started rebuilding after Somaliland declared itself an independent state in 1991 following the fall of Somalia’s central government at the start of the civil war.

Using funds from local entrepreneurs and remittances from the diaspora, the city received a facelift and has now become one of the cultural hubs in the region.