t is a country that officially does not exist. You will not find it on any map. However, Somaliland has its army, its entry visa and its government. This “no man’s land” as big as England is stuck between Djibouti and Somalia and is one of the trade routes for neighboring Ethiopia. Every day, dozens of old trucks cross the Somali desert to connect the port of Djibouti to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. A terrible journey under a blazing sun that some pay with their lives. Because in addition to the risk of getting stuck in the sand, heavy goods vehicles can at any time step on one of the many antipersonnel mines that are buried in this desert. In total, there are more than a million. So, to hold out and give themselves courage, the drivers consume the local drug, khat. It is a plant that has exciting properties that is sold legally throughout the country. Authors: Jean-Christophe Brisard, Tony Casabianca
