Christianity in Somaliland

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Christianity in Somaliland is a minority religion, estimated to have 7,642 followers according to the 2023 report by the Somali Bible Society. [1] This census did not count all the Christians in Somaliland who continue to practice their religion secretly for fear of persecution. [1] The country's Christians are mostly native born. [2] The foreign Christian demographics include United Nations workers or other humanitarian agencies with bases in Hargeisa. [2] As of 2021, however, there are at least some known local Christians who feel persecuted. [3] The church and its institutions such as Caritas International also work in relief and charitable work, and also run programs such as rehabilitation of schools and hospitals, food aid, and assistance to poor children.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Somaliland is located within the Anglican bishopric area in the Horn of Africa and under the administration of the Anglican diocese in Egypt. However, there are no current Anglican communities in the region.[1]

Somaliland is part of the Somalia Catholic Diocese. However, since 1990 no bishop has been appointed from Mogadishu, and currently the bishop of Djibouti serves the diocese as an apostolic official.[2] Adventist Mission indicates that there are no members in Somaliland.[3]

History

Christianity was present in parts of northern Somaliland prior to the arrival of Islam, primarily through the influence of the Axumite Empire, and ancient Christian ruins and artefacts still remain. However after the spread of Islam, its presence remained limited, and significant Christian institutions were only introduced during the Colonial Era.

British Somaliland

Roman Catholic church closed in 2017, Hargeisa, Somaliland ASC Leiden - van de Bruinhorst Collection - Somaliland 2019 - 4450 - Roman Catholic church closed in 2017, Hargeisa, Somaliland.jpg
Roman Catholic church closed in 2017, Hargeisa, Somaliland

In 1913, during the early period of the colonial era, there were practically no Christians in Somaliland, with about 100 to 200 adherents coming from schools and orphanages affiliated with the Catholic missions in the Protectorate of British Somaliland. [4] The small number of Christians in the region today comes mostly from similar Catholic institutions in Aden, Djibouti and Berbera. [5]

Bibliography

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Somali Christian Census, 2023 (PDF) (Report). Vol. 4. Somali Bible Society. December 2023. pp. 50–61. ISSN   2709-4332 . Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  2. 1 2 Somaliland: Local and Expatriate Christians Exercise Constitutional Right to Freedom of Belief Archived 26 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ "Somaliland Christians released after offences-against-Islam charges dismissed". somalilandsun.com. 8 June 2021.
  4. ↑ Charles George Herbermann, The Catholic encyclopedia: an international work of reference on the constitution, doctrine, discipline, and history of the Catholic church, Volume 14, (Robert Appleton Company: 1913), p. 139.
  5. ↑ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Somaliland"  . Catholic Encyclopedia . New York: Robert Appleton Company.
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