The country of Somalia has a long and jaded history of instability dating all the way back to the mid 1800’s. There has never, in the existence of the country, been any viable form of government. There are many reasons for the United States to have a vested interest in this area of the world. Somalia has been and is currently known to be a hot bed for such terrorist organizations as Al-Shabaab and Al- Qaeda. Also, with the recent discovery of oil reserves in Somalia, stability in the region is of even greater importance.
Since the fall of Dictator Mohammed Siad Barre, Somalia has been without any centralized form of government (UPI.com, 2012). Since then the country has been caught in a whirlwind of warring clans. That and a series of famines have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. The lack of central government has also resulted in three significant separatist movements named Somaliland, Puntland, and Southwestern Somalia.
Somaliland had separate independence from Great Britain prior to union with Somalia in 1960, which they claim was never ratified. They declared independence from Somalia in 1991. The international Community does not recognize their independence.
A council of elders proclaimed Puntland as an autonomous state of Somalia in 1998. They do not seek recognition as a separate nation. They seek to unify all Somali people and adhere to a federal system of government. They seek to improve limpidity in government.
Founded by Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud, leader of the Rahanweyn Resistance Army, Southwestern Somalia is a self-proclaimed state founded to show discontent with the Mogadishu-based Transition National Government. This was done to counter the impact of the Somalia Reconciliation an...
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...alis to come together. It is paramount to the Unites States and its interests that the country of Somalia becomes stable.
Works Cited
Somalia Smart Book. (2011, February). Retrieved March 18, 2012, from IKN: https://ikn.army.mil/apps/dms/search/getDocument.cfm?id=40765
(2012, March 1). Retrieved March 18, 2012, from UPI.com: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2012/03/01/Somalias-oil-prospects-add-new-dangers/UPI-81601330635213/
Clapper, D. o. (2011, February 10). Worldwide Threats. (H. S. Committee, Interviewer)
Piombo, J. (2007, January). Terrorism and U.S. Counter-Terrorism Programs in Africa: An Overview. (V. I. Strategic Insights, Interviewer)
Ploch, L. (2011, July 22). fas.org. Retrieved March 20, 2012, from Africa Command: U.S. Strategic Interests and the Role of the U.S. Military in Africa: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL34003.pdf
New World Encyclopedia, . "http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org." http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Somali_Civil_War. New World Encyclopedia, 19 Dec 2008. Web. 11 Mar 2011.
In order to understand the full scope of genocide in Somalia and how it will affect other countries, we must understand their culture. This way you can determine if any outside assistance, such as the United States giving aid, would be accepted or unwanted. Cultural knowledge can also give outside countries insight to “how” and “when” relationships can` be established.
Somalia, which is about the size of Texas, is a small country located in Eastern Africa next to the Indian Ocean. The United States, which is located on the Western Hemisphere, is bordered by Mexico and Canada and is between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
The terrorist threat posed to United States (U.S.) interests within the Horn of Africa (HOA) is represented by one terrorist organization in particular, al-Shabaab. Areas of concern towards key strategic interests for the U.S. consist of armed conflicts, violent extremism, global trade, and maritime security in which al-Shabaab possess an influential capacity to disrupt, which effects political, economic, and social stability throughout region. As countries within the HOA continue to gain strategic importance to U.S. interest and policy makers, al-Shabaab and the various entities they collaborate with affect the stability of the region and remain a prevalent threat.
On Sep 11, 2001, al Qaeda threatened the United States (U.S.) national security, and we are still combating terrorism. Since that time, al Qaeda and other extremist groups have also been endangering some of the U.S. allies. Realizing the magnitude of this international fight, the U.S. needs help from its partners to counter violence worldwide.
...ry, a development hailed by the UN as a sign of improving security” (Galkayo). Now with the help from the United States the Somali government would continue to stabilize.
In this section, I will provide a brief history of U.S. military involvement on the African continent, starting with the Barbary Wars and working up through the current date. This historical documentation will highlight the change in the role the United States has played in Africa [post 9-11???]. Prior to 9-11, the United States’ interactions were mainly [capture summary here]. Since [?], however, the continent has faced a marked increase in violent extremism and terrorism leading the United States to partner with many African nations in counterterrorism initiatives. These, and other initiatives, mean an increasing number U.S. service members are deploying to Africa to take part in training, humanitarian issues and military operations. These military activities are run by United States African Command, a recently created combatant command.
The relationship between Eritrea and Ethiopia has been strained at best, since the end of the Eritrean-Ethiopian Border War. Recent border skirmishes between the two countries have raised concerns with the United Nations (U.N.) that another war could breakout. The United States (U.S.) has had a strong interest in the area for over a century, and more importantly, has close ties with Ethiopia. The recent hostilities have been provoked by Ethiopia and, with Eritrea asking the U.N. for help in the matter, the U.S. needs to step back and assess both sides of the matter in order to aid in the peaceful resolution of the conflict between the two countries.
"SOMALIA CONFERENCE - Facts, Figures and Major Problems of Somalia." Facts, Figures and Major Problems of Somalia. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2014.
.... The next month, the new MPs elected Somali activist, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, as president in the first real presidential election since 1967. As al-Shabaab weakened, piracy also decreased significantly in 2012. In January of 2013, the United States formally recognized the new Somali government. The U.S. had not recognized a government as legitimate in Somalia since 1991. While attacks by al-Shabaab continue to plague Somalia, Mogadishu and the southern regions of Somalia are continually seeing a decrease in victims of violence. Alongside all these promising developments, over the next few years, Somalia will see 2.4 billion dollars in reconstruction aid in order to increase security and strengthen the economy. Although the future of Somalia’s political development is uncertain, it does seem that there is hope that the worst has past for this struggling country.
"The United States Army in Somalia, 1992-1994." U.S. Army Center Of Military History. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 July 2011. .
Somali state collapse in 1991 came about through an amalgamation of internal and external factors. External factors contributing to the eventual collapse included the legacies of European colonialism that separated the Somali people into five states or around 14 sub-clans, the impact of Cold War politics, and the cumulative effect of wars with neighbour states, most detrimentally the 1977-78 Ogaden war with Ethiopia. Internally, the key factor was the contradictions of the centralised state authority.
The United States entered the country of Somalia on December 8th, 1992. Troops were ordered to alleviate the famine outbreak that had affected the country’s civilians. The United Nations asked for its members help in aiding the country after somewhat failing to relieve the problems that were occurring. The UN did all they could in Somalia before the additional aid was needed by other members. The United States offered to provide aid under humanitarian reasons, the mission was named Operation Restore Hope. President George H.W. Bush agreed to deploy 25,000 troops to Somalia, he did so assuring the American people that the mission was for humanitarian reasons only and troops would only take necessary precautions to protect Somali people from
Anonymous. "Somalia: 20 Years of Anarchy." BBC News. BBC, 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
stability and peace in Burundi. The foreign policy of Burundi is to look for aid from