Africa is a rich continent with an abundance of resources, diverse cultures, exotic people and exciting traditions, yet it seems as though it is perpetually facing armed conflict (Lukunka, 2012). Of the conflicts Africa is facing currently, Somalia is the center for some of the largest conflicts. The history of Somalia has been hit with conflict after conflict, not only between rival clans but also with other countries, most recently between not only regional powers but also the US and Al-Qaida. The current conflict in Somalia differs from the rest due to the number and type of players involved; the large numbers of foreign players involved in local affairs and the role radical Islam is playing in the conflict. With most of the population of Somalia being Sunni Muslim has that played a factor in the current war on terror currently being fought by local, regional and global parties, and will it remain that way due to their religious beliefs and strategic location and how will this affect U.S. interest in that region?
In the past decade U.S. security policy has been driven largely by counterterrorism efforts, which past and present administrations have identified as a top national security priority. The 2002 National Security Strategy concerning Africa reflected a need for a more focused strategic approach toward the continent: “In Africa, promise and opportunity sit side by side with disease, war, and desperate poverty. This threatens both a core value of the United States—preserving human dignity—and our strategic priority—combating global terror.” (Ploch 2011)
The 2006 National Security Strategy expanded on the initial strategy and identified Africa as “a high priority” and “...
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... War Changes Lives, Chart, Retrieved on 18 March 2012 from, http://www2.mssu.edu/international/mccaleb/Ethiopia/border.htm
Lyons, Terrence, Avoiding Conflict in the Horn of Africa: U.S. Policy Toward Ethiopia and Eritrea, The Center for Preventive Action, pg 1-51
Mohamed, Mohamed A., U.S. Strategic Interest in Somalia: From Cold War Era to War on Terror, 01 June 2009, Retrieved on 19 March 2012 from, http://horseedmedia.net/wp- content/uploads/2010/10/US_STRATEGIC_INTEREST_IN_SOMALIA.pdf
National Security Strategy, May 2010, pg 1-60
Ploch, Lauren, Africa Command: U.S. Strategic Interests and the Role of the U.S. Military in Africa, Congressional Research Service, July 2011, pg 1 - 43
Somalia at War – Between Radical Islam and Tribal Politics, 1-72, Retrieved on 18 March 2012 from, http://www.tau.ac.il/humanities/abraham/publications/somalia.pdf,
Atkinson argues that the North African campaign was a "pivot point in American history, the place where the United States began to act like a great power militarily, diplomatically, strategically, and tactically" (3). More importantly, he believes that World War II was the "greatest story of the twentieth century, like all great stories, it was bottomless, [and that] no comprehensive understanding of the victory of May 1945 is possible without understanding the earlier campaigns in Africa and Italy" (655). He supports this argument well in over 500 pages of material.
As seen from Gettleman´s text, “But Awil is not a rebel. He is working for Somalia's government. The U.S. and other Western nations support the fragile Somali regime, which is battling an Islamic insurgency, as part of the counterterrorism strategy for the region.” As apparent, the United States has put a counterterrorism strategy into place, to help bring down the power that Somalia
Again, the United States entered the conflict failing to adhere to all the principals of jus ad bellum, espousing the principles of jus in bello, and inadequately upholding those of jus post bellum. The US entered the war an unjust nation, and left the conflict in a rather unjust manner. As a result, Somalia faces hardship over two decades later with no signs of a hasty recovery. Even worse, with the problem lingering and the international debt crisis, few countries are willing to intervene in Africa to cut out a solution. How long will the world let Somali people starve and whose job is it to intervene if America is unwilling?
Bhorat, H. M. (2013, June 20). A Conversation on President Obama’s Trip to Africa (web audio recording). Retrieved March 29, 2014, from Brookings: http://www.brookings.edu/research/interviews/2013/06/20-obama-trip-africa-kimenyi-schneidman
Terrorist organizations in Somalia, located within the Horn of Africa, present a current threat to the region and to United States (U.S.) interests. This paper will address the implication of a terrorist network within Somalia by analyzing the actions and motivations of Al-Shabab, the Somali Government, and the United States. Al-Shabab is gathering support by using religion, undermining the Somali Government, and by providing jobs and opportunities for the people of Somalia. If Al-Shabab continues growing in power it could lead to more extreme terrorists attacks in Somalia and the region.
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.
At that time in the early 1990’s, the U.S. was the only superpower country left in the world. The Soviet Union collapsed after the Cold War and the left the U.S. at the top. With the U.S. being the only superpower left, it meant that they were the only ones who could try to keep peace between other countries and hopefully end violence in the world. At the time, Somalia was a complete disaster and still is to this day. They have no structural government and warlords rule parts of the country.
.... 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.
There have been many factors that contributed to this situation. The region that is now considered Somalia has gone through much strife throughout history. In the 1960’s it established independence and ratified a constitution, but in 1969 their elected leader was assassinated. A bloodless military coup ensued in which the nation’s Army assumed power. The Commander of the Army, Major General Mohamed Siad Barre became the President and instituted a military government.
Principally composed of weak or unstable governments; external and internal predators maximize self-interests to the detriment of the people of the continent. These forces provide breeding grounds for entities with ends inimical to the United States, our Allies and our partners; and in the worst case, provide safe havens to enable violent extremists to thrive and target our Homeland and global interests. More recently, some states have taken advantage of these instabilities to sow the seeds of interstate tensions that could cross borders and lead to tremendous loss of life. Security, stability, rule of law, and international aid will provide governments the tools to counter outside aggression and instability.? Keeping defense of the homeland as our priority; aiding the countering of aggressions and external negative actors will provide regional governments the room to build viable institutions while military assistance and cooperation enhance unified efforts.?The entire theatre requires a robust investment of time, energy and resolve; with short, medium and long term goals to guide us to our desired end state: USEASTCOM assisting the transition of African problems into African
For decades there has been an ongoing dispute of the Ogaden region of Eastern Ethiopia. The Ogaden region is in Ethiopia’s Somalia Regional State which borders Somalia. Several battles between the Somalis people in that region and the Ethiopian military has left the Ogaden area war torn. Current conflicts between the Ethiopian military and the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) have forced Ethiopia to put more troops in the area. With escalating tensions in the region both sides continue to employ tactics that are viewed by the international communities as war crimes. The conflict between the two organizations is impacting the efforts that the US is trying to conduct in Ethiopia and the humanitarian effort going on in Somalia. I am going to give a few examples of the ongoing issues and try and determine if there is a peaceful resolution to the conflicts.
Even in an insurgency that occurs in a country with a nonfunctioning central government or after a major conflict, the host nation must eventually provide a solution that is culturally acceptable to its society and meets U.S. policy goals. The conclusion of any counterinsurgency effort is primarily dependent on the host nation and the people who reside in that nation. Ultimately, every society has to provide solutions to its own problems. As such, one of the Army and Marine Corps’ primary roles in counterinsurgency is to enable the host nation” (Department,
Transnational security challenges refer to various threats that operate across national boundaries and involve cross-border transference as a fundamental part of its process. These threats are complex, interconnected, non-traditional and typically involve non-state actors. Issues such as transnational organised crime, terrorism, piracy, environmental degradation and infectious disease are examples of issues at the centre of the transnational security agenda. Dupont argues that transnational issues were largely ignored by the mainstream discourse on security until the September 11 terroris...
One of the many reasons for the failure of foreign intervention in Somalia, and other countries alike, is a lack of basic understanding of the country and its people. If one doesn’t understand the foundation on which a country was built, and the structure of its society, then they will be unable to provide any sort of successful assistance. In the case of the Somali famine, much like the Rwandan genocide, and the invasion of Afghanistan, this inadequate understanding led to failure. This failure has continued to live on decades later, igniting hate and anger. To put it into smaller scale, therapists are unable to help their patients if they can’t understand their problems. They must understand their history, their feelings, and their daily lives before they can even attempt to offer advice or solutions. Foreign intervention is the same, though on a much larger scale of course. A lack of common ground, communication, empathy and understanding, will inevitably lead to
Etymologically, security implies the absence of real or perceived threats whether originating from internal turmoil, external sources, or incumbent economic disparities and inequalities. Over the course of the past two decades, the understanding and definition of security threats have undergone a two-fold transformation. First, the evolution of the international security environment has led to a diversification and decentralization of security threats, transcending state borders and actors, and spreading across political, economic, social and environmental dimensions. Second—and consequently—a major reprioritization of security threats followed, making non-tr...