WHY IS SOMALIA SO MESSED UP?

Sarah,

As you may have heard, Somalia is the most screwed country on Earth.  It has not had a functioning government since 1991.  Violence and poverty are the norm.  Why is this?

A Very Quick History:

Somalia is a country in the east of Africa.  It borders the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea and lies along the most direct trade route between India and Europe.  This trade route has been important for a really long time. From antiquity through the middle ages, Somali cities thrived and several strong Somali empires flourished.

Millenniums of relative independence ended in 1920.  Somalia was conquered by Britain and then by Italy and then by Britain again.  Britain decided to leave after World War II.  On their way out, Britain ceded a large swath of Somali territory to neighboring Ethiopia.(note that Ethiopia is Christian and Somalia is Muslim) 

In 1960, the Somali Republic was founded.  In 1969, the Somali army seized power in a bloodless coup and installed Mohamed Siad Barre as Somalia’s leader.  Barre quickly dissolved parliament and the Supreme Court and established a communist government with a greater emphasis on Islam.

In the 1970’s Barre’s government declared war on Ethiopia.  When the Soviets intervened on behalf of Ethiopia, the Somali’s turned to the Americans.  The foreign support of both superpowers resulted in a massive build-up of arms within the country. 

Somalia ended up losing the war and Barre became increasingly totalitarian.  By the 80’s his government was more or less a military dictatorship.

As the Cold War drew to end, international support for Barre’s government dried up and resistance groups sprang up around the country.  When Barre’s government fell, these new clan based militias began fighting amongst themselves.  A drought and famine intensified this conflict and clans began warring over food and water.  When the UN tried to intervene, the militias turned against the UN peacekeepers.

By the end of the civil war, the central government ceased to exist.  Somali’s retreated to more localized forms government, relying on Islamic law to settle disputes.  As a result, Islamists gained power within the country and began to clash with the fledgling Transitional National Government.

Currently, a provisional government in the capital is fighting the Islamists who control the majority of the country.

Droughts:

In addition to this instability, Somalia is extremely susceptible to drought.  It has not one, but two dry seasons, and rainfall is irregular.  As recently as 2011, a severe drought was caused by a 25% drop in rainfall.  Every new drought brings increased instability.

Piracy:

Piracy has been around forever.  In fact, the ancient Romans are said to have sent navies to the area to stop piracy as early as 150 A.D.  Today, the lack of central government has allowed piracy to continue unabated.  This severely hampers any chance on investment in region.

Bottom Line: Somalia is a land of little resources, warring clans, aggressive Islamist movements, and pirates.  It is unfortunate because Somalia is in in a strategic trading position that once allowed the country to thrive.  However, for the time being, there is little reason to expect improvement.