The Political Future of Somalia

The Political Future of Somalia PDF Author: Abdi Awaleh Jama
Publisher: Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research
ISBN: 9948141709
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 14

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Book Description
No-one can attempt to predict the political future of a country except through the examination of its recent past and current situation. Somalia stands as a nation divided by former colonial powers and a country born on July 1, 1960, as an orphan state within a hostile environment and without recognized boundaries with its neighbors. It is this predicament that symbolizes Somalia and its multifaceted problems. Today, deeply entrenched tribalism stands as a major impediment to the rebuilding of the country, supported by rampant external interference in Somalia’s internal affairs and facilitated by warlords, clan leaders and so-called “intellectuals” who utilize tribalism for self-serving, opportunistic ends. In summary, this is the real tragedy of Somalia. However, hope survives in the two peaceful regions of Northern Somalia. The way forward is the eventual reunification of all Somali factions and the emergence of a nationalist leader capable of taking on this daunting task. The dream of rebuilding a country and a nation does not happen over night, but is the achievement of subsequent generations and requires collective endeavors. Accordingly, four major issues significant to the rebuilding of the Somali state are discussed. These are: The role of clans in Somalia’s future politics; The competing and conflicting interpretations of different Islamic schools and their impact on Somalia; The role of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG); and The challenges confronting the TFG, the African Union (AU) and the international community in developing Somalia’s security and national economy.

The Political Future of Somalia

The Political Future of Somalia PDF Author: Abdi Awaleh Jama
Publisher: Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research
ISBN: 9948141709
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 14

Get Book Here

Book Description
No-one can attempt to predict the political future of a country except through the examination of its recent past and current situation. Somalia stands as a nation divided by former colonial powers and a country born on July 1, 1960, as an orphan state within a hostile environment and without recognized boundaries with its neighbors. It is this predicament that symbolizes Somalia and its multifaceted problems. Today, deeply entrenched tribalism stands as a major impediment to the rebuilding of the country, supported by rampant external interference in Somalia’s internal affairs and facilitated by warlords, clan leaders and so-called “intellectuals” who utilize tribalism for self-serving, opportunistic ends. In summary, this is the real tragedy of Somalia. However, hope survives in the two peaceful regions of Northern Somalia. The way forward is the eventual reunification of all Somali factions and the emergence of a nationalist leader capable of taking on this daunting task. The dream of rebuilding a country and a nation does not happen over night, but is the achievement of subsequent generations and requires collective endeavors. Accordingly, four major issues significant to the rebuilding of the Somali state are discussed. These are: The role of clans in Somalia’s future politics; The competing and conflicting interpretations of different Islamic schools and their impact on Somalia; The role of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG); and The challenges confronting the TFG, the African Union (AU) and the international community in developing Somalia’s security and national economy.

The Politics of Dress in Somali Culture

The Politics of Dress in Somali Culture PDF Author: Heather M. Akou
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN: 025322313X
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
The universal act of dressing—shared by both men and women, young and old, rich and poor, minority and majority—has shaped human interactions, communicated hopes and fears about the future, and embodied what it means to be Somali. Heather Marie Akou mines politics and history in this rich and compelling study of Somali material culture. Akou explores the evolution of Somali folk dress, the role of the Somali government in imposing styles of dress, competing forms of Islamic dress, and changes in Somali fashion in the U.S. With the collapse of the Somali state, Somalis continue a connection with their homeland and community through what they wear every day.

War and Peace in Somalia

War and Peace in Somalia PDF Author: Michael Keating
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190057963
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 622

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Book Description
For the last thirty years Somalia has experienced violence and upheaval. Today, the international effort to help Somalis build a federal state and achieve stability is challenged by deep-rooted grievances, local conflicts and a powerful insurgency led by Al-Shabaab. Consisting of forty-four chapters by conflict resolution specialists and the world's leading experts on Somalia, this volume constitutes a unique compendium of insights into the insurgency and its impact. War and Peace in Somalia explores the legacies of past violence, especially impunity, illegitimacy and exclusion, and the need for national reconciliation. Drawing on decades of experience and months of field research, the contributors throw light on diverse forms of local conflict, its interrelated causes, and what can be done about it. They share original research on the role of women, men and youth in the conflict, and present new insight into Al-Shabaab--particularly the group's multi-dimensional strategy, the motivations of its fighters, their foreign links, and the prospects for engagement. This ground-breaking volume illuminates the war in Somalia, and sets out what can and should be done to bring it to an end. For policymakers and researchers covering Somalia, East Africa, extremism or conflict resolution, this is a must-read.

Somalia and Operation Restore Hope

Somalia and Operation Restore Hope PDF Author: John L. Hirsch
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
"Somalia" has become a symbol for the unacceptable costs of humanitarian intervention, for the type of foreign involvement that should be avoided. But the authors of this timely book, themselves key participants in the U.S.-led operation there, argue that substantial good was done--the tide of famine was stayed, hundreds of thousands of lives saved, and steps toward political reconciliation begun. Despite the recent renewal of political violence, the humanitarian situation remains stable. In launching Operation Restore Hope, the multinational coalition faced a complex, tense, and rapidly unfolding situation. The authors detail how the carefully limited mission achieved its goals, including mutual understanding with the Somalis, by combining political, military, and humanitarian actions. But the authors also describe how different U.S. and UN concepts of the mission and subsequent changes in the mission's scope led almost inevitably to confrontation. Hirsch and Oakley raise fundamental questions about how to conduct such operations, and in particular about the limitations of peacekeepers in nation building. Drawing lessons from Vietnam and Lebanon as well as more recent operations, the authors provide an analysis that will help policymakers and scholars as they debate the future of peacekeeping.

Somalia - The Untold Story

Somalia - The Untold Story PDF Author: Judith Gardner
Publisher: CIIR
ISBN: 9780745322087
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 274

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Book Description
Explores the experiences of women in Somalia and how they have survived the trauma of war.

The Real Politics of the Horn of Africa

The Real Politics of the Horn of Africa PDF Author: Alex de Waal
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0745695612
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
The Real Politics of the Horn of Africa delves into the business of politics in the turbulent, war-torn countries of north-east Africa. It is a contemporary history of how politicians, generals and insurgents bargain over money and power, and use of war to achieve their goals. Drawing on a thirty-year career in Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia, including experience as a participant in high-level peace talks, Alex de Waal provides a unique and compelling account of how these countries’ leaders run their governments, conduct their business, fight their wars and, occasionally, make peace. De Waal shows how leaders operate on a business model, securing funds for their ‘political budgets’ which they use to rent the provisional allegiances of army officers, militia commanders, tribal chiefs and party officials at the going rate. This political marketplace is eroding the institutions of government and reversing statebuildingÑand it is fuelled in large part by oil exports, aid funds and western military assistance for counter-terrorism and peacekeeping. The Real Politics of the Horn of Africa is a sharp and disturbing book with profound implications for international relations, development and peacemaking in the Horn of Africa and beyond.

The Roots of Somali Political Culture

The Roots of Somali Political Culture PDF Author: Mary-Jane Fox
Publisher: First Forum Press
ISBN: 9781626372047
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 237

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Book Description
¿Excellent.... a book that sheds new light on the political culture of Somaliland, Puntland, and Somalia.¿ ¿Christopher L. Daniels, Florida A&M University The fragmentation of the former Somali Democratic Republic into three distinctive entities, together with the events that have ensued since then, make for a complex political puzzle that raises a plethora of questions. M. J. Fox explores some of the most fundamental of those questions: Have the ¿three Somalias¿ of today always been as disparate as they are now? How deeply rooted are those differences? Why has southern Somalia remained steeped in violence while Somaliland and Puntland are relatively peaceful and stable? And does political culture have any role to play in contemporary Somali politics? As she traces the compelling influences of political culture over time, Fox provides a unique comparative analysis of Somaliland, Puntland, and Somalia in the twenty-first century. M. J. Fox is an independent scholar, formerly with the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University.

“My Clan Against the World”: U.S. and Coalition Forces in Somalia 1992-1994

“My Clan Against the World”: U.S. and Coalition Forces in Somalia 1992-1994 PDF Author:
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1437923089
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
This study examines the American military's experience with urban operations in Somalia, particularly in the capital city of Mogadishu. That original focus can be found in the following pages, but the authors address other, broader issues as well, to include planning for a multinational intervention; workable and unworkable command and control arrangements; the advantages and problems inherent in coalition operations; the need for cultural awareness in a clan-based society whose status as a nation-state is problematic; the continuous adjustments required by a dynamic, often unpredictable situation; the political dimension of military activities at the operational and tactical levels; and the ability to match military power and capabilities to the mission at hand.

We Do Not Have Borders

We Do Not Have Borders PDF Author: Keren Weitzberg
Publisher: Ohio University Press
ISBN: 0821445952
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 397

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Book Description
Though often associated with foreigners and refugees, many Somalis have lived in Kenya for generations, in many cases since long before the founding of the country. Despite their long residency, foreign and state officials and Kenyan citizens often perceive the Somali population to be a dangerous and alien presence in the country, and charges of civil and human rights abuses have mounted against them in recent years. In We Do Not Have Borders, Keren Weitzberg examines the historical factors that led to this state of affairs. In the process, she challenges many of the most fundamental analytical categories, such as “tribe,” “race,” and “nation,” that have traditionally shaped African historiography. Her interest in the ways in which Somali representations of the past and the present inform one another places her research at the intersection of the disciplines of history, political science, and anthropology. Given tragic events in Kenya and the controversy surrounding al-Shabaab, We Do Not Have Borders has enormous historical and contemporary significance, and provides unique inroads into debates over globalization, African sovereignty, the resurgence of religion, and the multiple meanings of being African.

Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency in Somalia

Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency in Somalia PDF Author: Seth G. Jones
Publisher: Rand Corporation
ISBN: 083309484X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 107

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Book Description
This report analyzes the U.S. and allied campaign against the al Qa’ida–linked terrorist group al Shabaab in Somalia, examines what steps have been most successful against the group, and identifies potential recommendations. It concludes that, while al Shaba'ab was weakened between 2011 and 2016, the group could resurge if urgent steps are not taken to address the political, economic, and governance challenges at the heart of the conflict.