Ancient Egyptians revered Somaliland for its frankincense. Colonial Britain held on to the country to secure meat for its military garrison in Aden, and the superpowers jostled for control due to its strategic location at the southern gate of the Red Sea. Independence brought celebrations and a surge of children attending schools. Then, the atmosphere changed with recurrent droughts, military repressions, and wars.

How did the people fare? What challenges did the post-independence generation encounter? What are the social and environmental challenges associated with these upheavals? Jama Gulaid, a career United Nations civil servant and a graduate of local schools, explored these and other questions on his first visit to the country in 35 years.

Invisible State is a candid memoir and a remarkable portrait of an independent nation that remains largely unknown.