Understanding the Somalia Conflagration

Identity, Political Islam and Peacebuilding

Is peace-building in Somalia possible? Devastated by a US-backed Ethiopian invasion and years of civil war, Somalia has long been without a central government, against this background of violence and instability, Somali academic Afyare Abdi Elmi, explains the multiple dimensions of the conflict, seeking a peace-building consensus.*BR**BR*Somalia is a failed state and a Muslim state, a combination the West assumes means it's a breeding ground for extremism. Coupled with the country's reputation as a piracy hotspot, this combination of internal division and outside interference makes for an intensely hostile landscape. Elmi shows that only by addressing the problem of the statelessness in the country can the long process of peace begin. He highlights clan identities, Islam and other countries in the region as the key elements in any peace-building effort; setting out a path for the international community to follow.