The Challenges of Somalia - Essay Example

Topic: Somalia Lecturer presentation Somalia, a country located in the Horn of Africa remains one of the most politically volatile countries in the world. Since Somali President Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991, the political and socio-economic environment in the country collapsed. In a country characterized by homogeneous culture and religion, conflicts between clans and sub-entities of the clans remain one of the most difficult challenges towards the establishment of a democratic state (Makinda, 1992, pp 34-37).

Though the reign of Siad Barre was oppressive and undemocratic, it demonstrated the tragic consequences that an oppressive government dominated by one clan could have on a country that has numerous clans, each interested to get control of the state’s affairs. The international community has on many occasions tried to establish a democratic Somali, the most recent being the Transition Federal Government(TFG) that was overrun by the Union of Islamic Courts(UIC) in 2006. Just as in the previous administration, TFG was plagued by intense power struggles among the different factions and clans that eventually undermined its objectives of democratizing the country.

Since then, Somalia remains a failed state characterized by unstructured rules by Islamic factions and more piracy in the high seas (Samatar, 1991, p9). In order to transform the country from the current state to a democratic country, a high sense of patriotism and nationalism among all Somali clans should be established so that they can tolerate each other and respect the rule of law. According to Latin (1977, pp26-29), establishing a constitution that has the support of the majority of people is a fundamental requirement for establishing democracy in a country.

Equally important, the constitution should be enforced by an independent and strong institutional framework where the rule of the land reigns over personal or specific groups. In this regard, all people of Somalia should unite as members of one country and form a constitution that has support from the majority people but not the clan. Somalia faces several unique challenges that hinder the development of democracy and prosperity of the country. They include historical problems characterized by a strong emphasis on the clans, and influence from western countries during the colonial and postcolonial era.

According to Latin (1977, p75), kinship is strongly entrenched in Somali culture that it supersedes nationalism. This has perpetuated suspicion among different clans and foreigners from other countries. During colonialism, the country was divided and ruled by different colonialists who imposed different kinds of leadership structures in the country (Touval, 1963, pp41-43). Therefore, after independence, the country did not have a firm institutional and governance foundation to guide future leaders, who instituted a clan-based rule.

Another challenge was the interference by the communists and capitalists powers who supplied arms to different factions in order to gain influence in the country (Samatar, 1991, p63). This resulted in endless conflicts that polarized the country further. To solve these challenges the international community should step in, ban the selling of arms in the country, and demilitarize the clans. The country should be isolated from the international community through trade embargos and all foreign support to different factions in the country should be banned.

The United Nations should then help in formulating a constitution that is acceptable to the majority and establish an efficient institutional framework to ensure that equality and democracy are practiced across all demographic groups in the country.