Somalia: Far from a failed state?
Somalia: Far from a failed state? With leaders from more than 50 countries and international organisations due to gather this week for the London Conference on Somalia, BBC Africa analyst…
Somalia: Two Weeks to Remember. Two Weeks to go.
By: Matt Baugh British Ambassador to Somalia, Nairobi February 10, 2012 It’s been quite a fortnight. At the end of January, I accompanied the UK Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell,…
Will the London conference change Somalia’s future?
By: Abdi Ismail Samatar The upcoming summit has the chance to set a new strategic agenda for transforming Somalia [GALLO/GETTY] Minneapolis, MN - The upcoming London Conference on Somalia is, potentially, a promising…
The dangers of carving up Somalia
By Parselelo Kantai and Patrick Smith in Nairobi There is an unprecedented build-up of military force in Somalia. African Union peacekeepers are set to double to more than 17,000 while Kenya…
By robbing the rich, Somali pirates have helped the poor
If I were a Somali I would thank Allah for the pirates. For more than 20 years the world has stood by while successive civil wars destroyed Somalia, killing hundreds of…
Somalia: Under The Tutelage Of Ghost-Lords
By Abukar Arman At this dreadful moment in its history—when the obituary of a nation in life support is being written—political correctness is a luxury that Somalia cannot afford. Yes,…
Diplomatic shift offers real hope for Somalia
BEING appointed Britain’s new ambassador to Somalia could easily feel like the diplomatic equivalent of being a Second World War soldier sent to the Russian front. That said, Matt Baugh,…
Somalia: Getting Somalia Wrong – Faith, War and Hope in a Shattered State
BY MAGNUS TAYLOR BOOK REVIEW The next book in the African Arguments series is Getting Somalia Wrong by BBC journalist Mary Harper. It is a complex account of a country too often stereotyped by…
You lazy intellectual African Scum!
They call the Third World the lazy man’s purview; the sluggishly slothful and languorous prefecture. In this realm people are sleepy, dreamy, torpid, lethargic, and therefore indigent—totally penniless, needy, destitute,…
A New Year, A Changed Africa? 2012 New Year Resolutions
As is customary with the New Year, it’s time to reflect upon Africa’s socio-economic development in 2011. Hands down, the top three items that would behoove inclusion are…