Understanding the Somalia Conflagration

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Somalia has been devastated by a US-backed Ethiopian invasion and years of civil war, and it has long been without a central government. Against this background of violence and instability, Somali academic Afyare Abdi Elmi analyses the multiple dimensions of the conflict and the attempts that have been made to find a peace-building consensus.

Somalia is a 'failed' state and a Muslim state. This combination means the West assumes that Somalia will become a breeding ground for extremism. Furthermore, the country regularly hits the headlines as a piracy hotspot. This mix of internal division and outside interference makes for an intensely hostile landscape.

Elmi shows that the problem of statelessness must be addressed before the long process of building peace can begin. He highlights the various factors involved, including clan identities, Islam and the role of other countries in the region, all crucial to any peacebuilding effort.

This unique account from an author who truly understands Somalia should be required reading for students and academics of international relations and peace/conflict studies.

A FAHAMU BOOKS AND PAMBAZUKA PRESS PUBLICATION