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Somalia: Is There Hope?

Somalia: Is There Still Hope?

Professor: Dr. Agnes Leslie
Model African Union
April 23, 2007
Somalia: Is There Still Hope?
Throughout their history, the country of Somalia has suffered many ups and downs that have shaped it into the country that it has become today. As many African countries, Somalia has been through colonization, independence and has regressed into a whirlpool of political instability. The country of Somalia has been in a state of civil unrest since 1991 when their president, General Mohamed Siad Barre, was removed from power by warlords. The tensions have been high since the takeover of these warlords. The tensions came to a head in March 2006, when the coalition of warlords, Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter- Terrorism (ARPCT) and the militia that supported the Islamic Courts Union. Throughout the year the fighting evolved from the Islamic Courts Union taking over cities of Somalia, such as Mogadishu, to becoming a war with the Ethiopian government. There has been a history of hostility between Somalia and Ethiopia and this conflict gave the issue an outlet. Since December of 2006, when Ethiopia declared jihad against the Islamic Courts Union, the violence has been continuous, thus making Somalia an issue of great importance to Africa and the African union, not only as a political issue but also as a social and human rights issue as well. The African Union has sent in troops to Somalia to regulate the conflict. Recently, the African Union had called on Ethiopia to remove their troops from Somalia. These efforts are hopefully only the beginning of what should be a great involvement of the African Union.
The history of Somalia is a complex one that has many complications that begin with their colonization. The country was colonized not by one European power but by two, United Kingdom and Italy. They got their independence from both countries in 1960. In July, both parts reunited into an independent Somali republic. The...