Concerned about terrorism as well as influence from Washington’s economic rivals, the Obama administration is renewing its efforts to support the Somali central government.
The Obama Administration’s Somali Pivot
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Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
Somalia’s Failure: A Broken System or Lousy Leaders?
Somalia’s power-sharing system has failed.
Affirming Somali Sovereignty
Somalia is, on paper, a sovereign state. But for the past two decades, beset by endless civil strife, secessionism, and regionalism, it has been anything but. The international community has acted as a de-facto caretaker of Somali affairs in the absence of a credible central government, with troops from African states continuing to provide security assistance. But this has begun to change.
Affirmative Action for Somalia
Fauzia Haji Adan was sworn in on Monday November 19, 2012, as the Somali Federal Republic’s deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, making history as Somalia’s first woman to hold those posts. Another Somali woman, Maryan Qassim, was also sworn in as the minister for social services. But only a policy of sustained affirmative action can address ingrained structural imbalances against Somali women; one or two cabinet appointments won’t cut it.
Permanent Statehood at Last for Somalia?
As the classic modern-day failed state, Somalia seems to be finally sailing out of the rough seas of ongoing conflicts and endless political instability on which it has been floating for so long. The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia, which was temporarily set up eight years ago to transition the country into permanent statehood, came to an end earlier this month.