MY POSTBOX: SOMALIA - Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya

Somalia (Somali: Soomaaliya; Arabic: الصومال‎, romanized: aṣ-Ṣūmāl), officially the Federal Republic of Somalia (Somali: Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya; Arabic: جمهورية الصومال الاتحادية‎,) is a sovereign country located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Guardafui Channel and Somali Sea to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa's mainland, and its terrain consists mainly of plateaus, plains, and highlands. Climatically, hot conditions prevail year-round, with periodic monsoon winds and irregular rainfall. In the late 19th century, Somalia was colonized by European powers, first by Germany, and then later by Britain and Italy when the Germans abandoned their efforts in 1890. The British and Italians established the colonies of British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland, respectively. In the interior, Mohammed Abdullah Hassan's Darwiish repelled the British four times, forcing a retreat to the coast, before succumbing in the Somaliland campaign (1920). Italy acquired full control of the northeastern, central, and southern parts of the area after successfully waging the Campaign of the Sultanates against the ruling Majeerteen Sultanate and Sultanate of Hobyo. In 1960, the two regions united to form the independent Somali Republic under a civilian government.

The Supreme Revolutionary Council seized power in 1969 and established the Somali Democratic Republic, which collapsed 22 years later, in 1991, with the onset of the Somali Civil War. In 2014, a new Southwestern Somalia was likewise established. In April 2015, a formation conference was also launched for a new Central Regions State. The Federal Parliament is tasked with selecting the ultimate number and boundaries of the autonomous regional states (officially Federal Member States) within the Federal Republic of Somalia.

Somalia contains a variety of mammals due to its geographical and climatic diversity. Wildlife still occurring includes cheetah, lion, reticulated giraffe, baboon, serval, elephant, bushpig, gazelle, ibex, kudu, dik-dik, oribi, Somali wild ass, reedbuck and Grévy's zebra, elephant shrew, rock hyrax, golden mole and antelope. It also has a large population of the dromedary camel. Somalia is currently home to around 727 species of birds. Of these, eight are endemic, one has been introduced by humans, and one is rare or accidental. Fourteen species are globally threatened. Birds species found exclusively in the country include the Somali Pigeon, Alaemon hamertoni (Alaudidae), Lesser Hoopoe-Lark, Heteromirafra archeri (Alaudidae), Archer's Lark, Mirafra ashi, Ash's Bushlark, Mirafra somalica (Alaudidae), Somali Bushlark, Spizocorys obbiensis (Alaudidae), Obbia Lark, Carduelis johannis (Fringillidae), and Warsangli Linnet. There are roughly 235 species of reptiles. Of these, almost half live in the northern areas. Reptiles endemic to Somalia include the Hughes' saw-scaled viper, the Southern Somali garter snake, a racer (Platyceps messanai), a diadem snake (Spalerosophis josephscorteccii), the Somali sand boa, the angled worm lizard, a spiny-tailed lizard (Uromastyx macfadyeni), Lanza's agama, a gecko (Hemidactylus granchii), the Somali semaphore gecko, and a sand lizard (Mesalina or Eremias). A colubrid snake (Aprosdoketophis andreonei) and Haacke-Greer's skink (Haackgreerius miopus) are endemic species.

The first stamps of Somalia were issued for the Benadir Company by the Italian authorities in 1903. In 1905, Italy assumed the responsibility of creating a colony in Somalia, following revelations that the Benadir Company had tolerated or collaborated in the perpetuation of the slave trade. The first stamps were overprinted on the stamps of Benadir in 1905. Further issues were overprinted on the stamps of Benadir until 1926. From 1916 the stamps of Italy were also overprinted for use in Italian Somaliland. The first set of definitives inscribed "Somalia" was issued in 1930. Governor Maurizio Rava created the first system of postal service stations in Italian Somaliland, that was fully enlarged in 1937. Italian Trans-Juba was established in 1924, after Britain ceded the northern portion of the Jubaland region to Italy.

The first stamps for the new colony were issued on 29 July 1925, consisting of Italian stamps overprinted Oltre Giuba. Trans-Juba was integrated into Italian Somaliland in 1925. Between 1936 and 1941, stamps were issued for use in Italian East Africa, called in Italian Africa Orientale Italiana (A.O.I.), consisted of Italian Eritrea, Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland. After British forces occupied Italian Somaliland during World War II, British stamps overprinted M.E.F. (Middle East Forces) were used. British stamps overprinted "E.A.F." (East Africa Forces) were also used, beginning 15 January 1943. These were replaced by issues overprinted B.M.A. SOMALIA and later B.A. SOMALIA, reflecting the change from British military to British civil administration. Stamps overprinted in this way were in use from 1948 to 1950. In 1949, when the British military administration ended, Italian Somaliland became a United Nations trusteeship known as the Trust Territory of Somaliland. Under Italian administration, this trust territory lasted ten years, from 1950 to 1960. Stamps issued during this interval were inscribed in both Italian and Somali.

Stamps were issued from 1903 to 1960 for the British area, first as British Somaliland, and later as the Somaliland Protectorate. On 26 June 1960, the British Somaliland protectorate briefly gained independence as the State of Somaliland before uniting as scheduled five days later with the Trust Territory of Somaliland to form the Somali Republic on 1 July 1960. A set of stamps was issued with stamps from Italian Somaliland overprinted "Somaliland Independence 26 June 1960". Following the establishment of the Somali Republic, the first stamps of the nascent country were issued on 1 July 1960. After the 1969 military coup, the country and its stamps were renamed the Somali Democratic Republic.

In early 1991, the Somali Postal Service had 100 post offices, with a total staff of between 1,665 to 2,165 personnel. The national postal infrastructure was later completely destroyed during the civil war, with Somali Postal officially suspending operations in October 1991. Residents subsequently had to turn to traditional methods of dispatching parcels and letters. They also communicated via handwritten letters sent through acquaintances and mobile and email messaging services. Postage stamps continued to be produced illegally internationally during the war, although their subject matter suggests they were designed for external collectors. In November 2013, international postal services officially resumed. The Universal Postal Union is now assisting the reestablished Somali Postal Service to develop its capacity, including providing technical assistance and basic mail processing equipment. In October 2014, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications also relaunched postal delivery from abroad. The postal system is slated to be implemented throughout the country via a new postal coding and numbering system. According to the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Mohamud Ibrihim Adan, the relaunch's next phase will enable local residents to send letters to acquaintances overseas.

You feels shock when seeing these covers with postmark? It is real ! Proof of Somalia has a semi working postal system. These beautiful airmail covers sent by David, when he made a special visit to Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia. The country has changed a lot, opened new post offices, and also going to start international mail service by early January of 2017. They also going to start new post offices in the self declared Somaliland capital Hargeisa, as Somalia Post. Now they have limited internal postal service, found it better than we expected. The existing mail services is done via Djibouti. When they start international mail service in advanced way, Djibouti will be the transit hub.

The Mogadisho General post office has a working philatelic section but it is not exactly meant so because there is no news stamps or fully operational postal service. We found some old series stamps too. It is very rare in the market because the country has very limited stamps since 1991 sold via post offices. Somalia stamps were printed by the Italian printing company IPZS, they issued stamps till 2002 even the postal service not in function. The stamps issued till 1999 are listed in main catalogues.

David got a great opportunity to meet the Director general of Somali Post , he shared the latest status and details about Somali Post. He very much interested and appreciated my envelopes and postcards, he showed them to all the other staff. He offered a whole hearted help for our philatelic projects, so we will definitely come to know when will be the international mail service starts.
When I see the covers as postmarked, I could not believe. I am sure mine is the first philatelic airmail cover from Somalia as postmarked in recent years. I am waiting for the next golden moments to make possible the first international airmail to India and Ireland from Mogadishu and Hargeisa.

This is the General Post office Building in Mogadishu. Need special entry permit to go inside.

My Friend David is with Philatelic Bureau General. You can see my covers kept on his table and the last set of stamps we bought from the bureau. These stamps issued in 1995 and 1997. There are a number of thematic stamps issued but very few reached to Philatelic bureau. The Italian company IPZS was printing the stamps, They printed Somalian stamps till 2003. The stamps issued till 1999 are listed in the catelogues, one among them I used on the above showed covers - the orchids.