Fri, 2009-02-20 03:26
Brig. Asif Haroon Raja

Read the complete article

The war-ravaged Somalia situated in the volatile Horn of Africa is a scene of infighting since 1991, when warlords overthrew Siad Barre and then clashed with each other. Autocratic Siad had ruled the country effectively and kept it united. The two warlords Farah Adid and Ali Mehdi controlling south and north Somalia respectively fought for power till as late as 2005. The country has been torn apart by clan-based warring faction leaders and militias and hundreds of thousands have been killed in the senseless conflict.

The Islamists led by Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) took over power in June 2006 and restored peace and normalcy. Peace was however shattered by the invasion of Ethiopian military in December 2006 at the nudging of USA and the Islamists toppled.. From 2007 onwards, infighting between warlords escalated and worsened when the Islamists began a resistance movement to oust foreign troops.

Mired in civil war, the country is now at a dangerous crossroads with little hope for return to peaceful conditions. This is in spite of employment of peacekeeping forces of some neighbouring African countries. The country has been without a national government since 1991 and is regarded as a failed state. During this period 13 transitional governments were formed and the current one is the 14th.. The Islamic insurgency has gained phenomenal strength and controls most part of the country. The Islamic militants have sidelined the government which is veering towards collapse. Sea piracy off the Somalia coast has added a new dimension to the turmoil.

The feuding came to a head when …

Read the complete article

Related information

• Ongoing anarchic conditions in Somalia