Internet based telepsychiatry: a pilot case in Somaliland

摘要

What today is known as the Republic of Somaliland was once a British Protectorate and later an internationally recognized sovereign state prior to its unification with the southern part of Somalia (a former Italian colony) in July 1960. After the collapse of the central government in Somalia in 1991, former British Somaliland - the North - declared unilaterally that the Union of the North-South was formally dissolved and resurrected its sovereignty on 18 May 1991 as the Republic of Somaliland, later supported and legalized by a national referendum with 97% of the population in favour of this. Twenty years on however, Somaliland, is yet to be recognized by the international community as a sovereign state. Somaliland enjoys however a relative stability and peace. It has a democratically elected government, parliament, military force and police. Despite the lack of international recognition, Somaliland has functioning governmental institutions, though they are largely dependent on support from the Somaliland Diaspora, international NGOs and some donor organizations (Arieff 2008).