Somalia? Why not! The capital Mogadishu, with its ancient Arab-Persian echoes, now reopens its borders to international flights, and the small region to the north, called Somaliland, self-proclaimed independent in 1991, is considered a small oasis of peace of 4 million inhabitants.

Not internationally recognised as a state, Somaliland has no access to international funding and foreign investment, so it is a state/non-state that is only growing by its own efforts. Its main economy, as in almost all of Somalia, is based on animal breeding and export, through the historic port of Berbera, the ancient medieval capital of the Ifat sultanate, and the qat trade with its traditional overland routes through the Horn of Africa. But for some time now, the cultural tourism sector has also begun to make its appearance (or rather reappearance, because Somalia has not always been at war), with more and more curious travellers, geologists, archaeologists and anthropologist enthusiasts landing in Hargeisa, the regional capital of English origin, or in Mogadishu, eager to discover the treasures hidden in this small strip of land overlooking the Gulf of Aden.

Amidst white beaches and crystal-clear water, lunar landscapes and livestock markets with a fascinating atmosphere, a population of nomadic and semi-nomadic origin, strongly attached to their traditions, the main jewel is undoubtedly the incredible series of sacred caves of Las Geel, which legend has it are inhabited by spirits and hide rock paintings at least 5,000 or 6,000 years old, declared to this day the best-preserved Neolithic site in the whole of Africa, a priceless unicum in terms of date and iconographic style.