Somalia (Federal Republic of Somalia) is a country located in
the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Kenya, Ethiopia and
Djibouti.
Civil rule ended in Somalia in 1969, nine short years after the
country gained independence. Since then, Somalia has been engulfed
with violence and a civil war.
Prior to 1991 the Trade Marks Registry in Somalia was in
operation and it was possible to file trade mark applications. The
Somali Government was overthrown by insurgent groups in 1991 and,
since that time, it has not been possible to file trade mark
applications in Somalia or enforce or maintain existing
registrations. Indeed, the Registry in Mogadishu remains
closed.
Various attempts at peace and reconciliation have been made
since 1991, but all have been unsuccessful. Islamic based local
administrations have been created in the country which have a sense
of autonomy and peaceful living. The most successful of these
administrations is Somaliland, a self-proclaimed
