Weapons’ trafficking in Somalia is a complex issue with global implications. Extremist organizations, such as Al-Shabaab, appear to be the primary beneficiary to the unrestricted flow of weapons and use them to achieve their objectives. Furthermore, the availability of weapons, particularly that of small arms, compromises regional stability and undermines United States strategy. The purpose of this paper is to address the significance of the arms trafficking network in Somalia by examining the culture in which it thrives, the motivation of Al-Shabaab to obtain them, the sources of illegal arms, and the United States point of view.
II. The Culture
Based on indicators and risk analysis, Somalia is listed number one on the failed states index since 2008 (FFP, 2013). There are several factors that contribute to Somalia’s instability. First of these factors is the government. Since 1991, Somalia has lacked an effective central government and there is no known national system for law or conflict resolution. The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) is the seventeenth attempt to establish a formal state in Somalia since the fall of the Siad Barre regime in 1991 (TCC, 2011). The second factor is unique geography that creates gaps in border security. Somalia is 246,200 square miles and borders three countries, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Somalia also has a large coastline that spans approximately 1,900 miles (TCC, 2011). The third factor is food and water security. Somalia has been a humanitarian crisis for several decades. Famine in Somalia is on a national scale and droughts strain the country’s water reserve. Estimates in 2010 indicate that all of the country was at least of moderate food concern, and over half was of...
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... Security Council) (2008). Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia pursuant to resolutions 751 (1992) and1811 (2008) concerning Somalia and Eritrea. S/2008/769 of 10 December 2008.
UNSC (United Nations Security Council) (2011). Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia pursuant to resolutions 751 (1992) and1907 (2009) concerning Somalia and Eritrea. S/2011/433 of 18 July 2011.
UNSC (United Nations Security Council) (2013). Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 751 (1992) and 1907 (2009) concerning Somalia and Eritrea. S/2013/413 of 12 July 2013.
United States Department of State (USDoS, 2014) The U.S. department of state continues to warn U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to somalia. (2014, Feb 7). Retrieved March 29, 2014, from http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings/somalia-travel-warning.html
Civil War is another shared similarity between both Somalia and the United States. In 1991, following the overthrow of the dictator, Siad Barre, Somalia descended into anarchy. With no government presence to maintain some type of order, clan-based warlords began competing with each other, thus beginning civil unjust. While northern parts of Somalia, as well as the self-declared “Republic of Somaliland,” have remained somewhat peaceful, internal fighting flares up with little to no warning. Since 1991, it is estimated that 350, 000 to 1,000,000 Somalia’s have died due to the lack...
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 vs United States 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 in the Western Hemisphere, is bordered by Mexico and Canada and is between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Separated not only by the Atlantic Ocean, Somalia and the United States are also separated by the differences in economies and populations. These two countries that are quite opposite in size have some similarities in their governments and education systems. Somalia is one of the world’s poorest and least developed countries (Campbell).
The United Nations. Resolution 36/103 of the UN General Assembly (1981). N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
...2009): 8-9. United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review. Web. 8 Apr. 2014. .
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.
Friedman, U. (2011, July 19). What It took for the U.N to declare famine in Somalia. Retrieved
...lance of trade and consistent revenue. The UN can help these countries build their economies if they can improve their trade. The UN can do all of this by implementing a single policy. The policy that will have to be passed is a distribution policy. If this policy is passed, the money generated from trade could be used in projects for the future and help these countries develop as a whole. This distribution policy will take time to pass due to other actors, but these actors are not a big issue. This distribution policy benefits the economies of developing countries such as Somalia. It helps the countries develop a balance of trade and generate revenue. Food will become more available to the Somalia people, and less people will be affected. Everyone in Somalia will have the opportunity to provide food for themselves and others. The hunger in Somalia will cease.
Drug trafficking is a prohibited, global trade that involves the production, the distribution, and the sales of drugs. It is a topic that has become a very large issue all over the world. It also has had a very big effect on many different countries because they often depend on the business that the drug trafficking creates. Since it has become such a problem, there have been many different efforts to put a stop to drug trafficking by different enforcement agencies. A website about drug statistics, drugabuse.net, indicated that the Drug Enforcement Agency or DEA, as it is well known as, makes over thirty thousand arrests each year dealing with the illegal sales or distribution of drugs. It is also believed that Mexico’s economy would shrink by over sixty-three percent if they lost their drug trafficking industry. There are many different tribulations like this that drug trafficking has created. Many people see it as such a vital asset to some countries, so it has emerged as an extremely big business that brings in a boatload of money. Just like any other immense problem, drug trafficking has its causes and effects
United Nations. (2009). Resolution adopted by the General Assembly, Sixty-fourth session, Agenda item 61. (¶ 17). Retrieved June 27, 2010 from http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/gashc3945.doc.htm
The United States Military Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (HOA) is a geographical region that encompasses the countries of Djibouti, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, and neighboring Yemen. Each country in the region houses many culturally unique distinctions to include groups, which comprise the HOA area of operation. Specifically one of these culturally unique groups originates out of Yemen. The country of Yemen, according to a 2004 census, has reached almost 20 million people (UNDP, 2010). Over 45% of the population lives on less than $2.00 U.S. a day (UNDP, 2010). The poverty-stricken people in Yemen have shaped a cultural group that in essence contains the majority of the Country’s population. The purpose of this thesis is to illustrate the current Yemen culture shaped by the effects of poverty on the people of Yemen. These effects span a wide array of problematic issues predicated on three major topics. The effects of poverty on the people of Yemen include severe health problems spanning a majority of the region, the decay of the Country’s political infrastructure, and the growing support of terrorist organizations in the region. The dilemmas in Yemen did not solely originate internally. Yemen is host to some 91,587 (as of 2007) refugees from Somalia (CIA, 2011). The wake of events perpetuated by the effects of poverty on the people of Yemen, left unchecked, will continue to erode with significant and lasting negative effects on the entire HOA Area of Responsibility (AOR) to include local, regional, and U.S. interests.
Trafficking in human beings is now the fastest-growing business of organized crime. Men, women and children are trafficked within their own countries and across international borders. More than one person is smuggled across a border every minute which is the equivalent to ten jumbo jets every single day. And the trade earns twice as much as the Coca Cola brand. (STOP THE TRAFFIK 2014)
In the Africa, lies the country Somalia, which is located on east coast of the continent. Its capital, Mogadishu, however has inconveniently brought its own problems, from colonization to politics, disagreements arise, causing tension throughout the country. Somalia’s historical background and culture ultimately lead to the war in its capital, it lead to the War of Mogadishu.
Terrorist organizations have been committing atrocities against innocent civilians throughout the world for hundreds of years. Terrorism has evolved in many different forms and from various motivations such as religious protest movements, political revolts, and social uprisings. Regardless of the motives for terror, the problem is the financing of terrorism and terrorist organizations themselves. Recent global terrorist attacks using high technology and extensive networks have shown that money is essential to provide the means behind all terrorist activities. Individual terrorists plan terrorist operations and require resources to live, prepare, and implement their plans. The use of money laundering and financial support schemes are the root of the cause. If money laundering were curtailed or even eliminated, and financial supporters of terrorism were identified terrorism would decrease dramatically. To achieve these goals would take monumental efforts. The United States, United Nations and all sovereign nations would need to take cooperative action that has never been accomplished. Terrorism, its' history, concepts, reasoning, methods, and financial roots are object of this research.