Somaliland Summer

Somaliland’s population was scattered across the globe by a devastating civil war in the late 1980s and early 90s, which saw it declare independence from its troubled neighbour, Somalia. Many Somalilanders, along with other Somalis, came to form communities in British cities such as Cardiff, Bristol, London and Sheffield. Over time, some have begun to return regularly to their homeland – now a haven of relative peace, although it remains internationally unrecognised – and many hope to become involved in the country’s recovery and progress. I created a series of portraits of young British Somalis as they spent a summer break in Somaliland, exploring a cultural heritage beyond the stereotypes of pirates, terrorists and warlords.

Published in The Guardian