History of Somalia History of Somalia Somalia (; ), officially the Federal Republic of Somalia (, ) and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Somalia was an important centre for commerce with the rest of the ancient world, and according to most scholars, it is among the most probable locations of the fabled ancient Land of Punt. During the Middle Ages, several powerful Somali empires dominated the regional trade, including the Ajuran Sultanate, the Adal Sultanate, the Warsangali Sultanate, the Sultanate of the Geledi and the Majeerteen Sultanate. In the late 19th century,
2009 timeline of the War in Somalia a four-party Islamist group called Hizbul Ismal leaving only Al Shabaab and foreign Mujahedeen as the enemies of the Transitional Government. From today, the government of Somalia will be run by Sharia law. In Somaliland an Islamic cleric aged 80 was killed in the capital of the semi-separatist region. Fighting in north-eastern province of Puntland resulted in the deaths of two militiamen and two civilians after two different clan militias fought it out in a small village. An Iman in the southern city of Gelkcayo was shot and killed by Al Shabaab gunmen. Al Shabaab militants attacked Au peacekeepers in