Maakhir (Somali: Maamul Goboleedka Maakhir, Arabic: ماخر Mākhir), officially the Maakhir State of Somalia (Somali: Maamul Goboleedka Maakhir; Arabic: ولاية ماخر الصومالWilāyah Mākhir al-Ṣūmāl) was a short-lived quasi-state in the Sanaag region of eastern Somalia formed in 2007.[1][2][3] It rejoined Puntland in 2009.[4]
History
Maakhir is the only Somali territory to never be ruled by a foreign power. Until 1949, the northern region of Somalia (including Maakhir, which was fully autonomous) was known to the Western world as British Somaliland.[1] Maakhir refers to the area historically governed by the Warsangali Sultanate, which existed for centuries and played a significant role in the early 20th century.[5]
Military operations
In February 2008, Somaliland armed forces laid siege to Hadaftimo, causing a state of emergency before the troops withdrew into Erigavo. Maakhir responded by increasing its military presence in Erigavo.[6]
On 9 July, hostilities were reignited when Somaliland troops invaded and occupied Laas Qoray port, under the pretense of rescuing German citizens who were allegedly being held hostage by pirates in the area.[7]
References
^Piskunova, Natalia (2013). "State Failure in the Contemporary International System: New Trends, New Threats". In Krishna-Hensel, Sai Felicia (ed.). Order and Disorder in the International System. Ashgate Publishing. pp. 115–130. ISBN9781409489078.
^Krishna-Hensel, Sai Felicia (2010). Order and disorder in the international system. Global interdisciplinary studies series. Farnham, England Burlington, VT: Ashgate. p. 127. ISBN978-1-4094-0505-4.
^Lund, Christian; Eilenberg, Michael, eds. (2017). Rule and rupture: state formation through the production of property and citizenship. Development and change book series. Chichester, UK ; Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. p. 197. ISBN978-1-119-38479-3.
