UCL podcast: the fragile democracy of Somaliland

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Michael Walls from UCL's Development Planning Unit talks about the prospects for democracy in the Somaliland.

Mr Walls is part of a team co-ordinating election observers for the forthcoming presidential elections in the internationally unrecognised republic, which declared unilateral independence from the failed Somali state in 1991.

In recent weeks, two of Somaliland's three political parties have announced their intention to boycott the crucial vote, which is scheduled to take place on 27 September.

So the country long hailed as a 'remarkable example of indigenous democracy' finds itself at a critical juncture.

In this podcast Mr Walls discusses the country's unique political landscape and what the international community can learn from what happens in the Horn of Africa.

Image: right, a political mural in Somaliland