By John Ikani
Oil has been discovered in the Sallahey region of Somaliland, according to the country’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
In a statement issued on Facebook, the ministry revealed that the discovery was made after the black liquid was spilled from a water well drilling site in the area and scientific investigations confirmed the presence of oil.
This marks the first confirmed oil discovery in the region.
UK firm Genel Energy will reportedly begin further exploration and production in the area.
The announcement comes just two weeks after the Somali federal government warned Genel Energy against conducting oil exploration in Somaliland without permission from Mogadishu, claiming that the company was infringing upon Somali sovereignty.
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has since sought international recognition, dismissed the statement from Mogadishu as baseless.
How many African countries produce oil?
With the announcement, Somaliland joins the league of several African countries that produce oil, including Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Libya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan, Sudan, and Tunisia.
It is worthwhile to note that the amount of oil produced by each of these countries varies significantly.
For example, some of the largest oil producers in Africa include Nigeria, Algeria, Angola, and Libya, while smaller oil producers in the region include countries like Chad, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea.
