Comments on: Somalia: Is anarchy the solution or the problem? http://austrolabe.com/2006/12/29/somalia-is-anarchy-the-solution-or-the-problem/ Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:12:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: gess http://austrolabe.com/2006/12/29/somalia-is-anarchy-the-solution-or-the-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-4049 gess Mon, 01 Jan 2007 17:20:34 +0000 http://austrolabe.com/2006/12/29/somalia-is-anarchy-the-solution-or-the-problem/#comment-4049 Salaam, The solution to the situation in Somalia is not to divide the country into clan regions -- that sounds Eurocentric and Orientalism. More than 95% of the population are Sunni Muslims with one language (Somali), and intermarriage between all clans are high, before and after the civil war. Unfortunately, the root caused to all problems lies when the country got independence in 1960, where the administration of the country was given to people without experience in how to run a country, and these people handed over their power to their clans' member, instead of to hand over who ever that could deal the challenge, regardless of clan member, but at the end you had one clan ruler who considered anyone as an enemy who stood in their way. I don't believe it's an impossible task to unify the country. It takes a honest man. And another obstacle is the inference from outside world. Salaam,

The solution to the situation in Somalia is not to divide the country into clan regions — that sounds Eurocentric and Orientalism. More than 95% of the population are Sunni Muslims with one language (Somali), and intermarriage between all clans are high, before and after the civil war.

Unfortunately, the root caused to all problems lies when the country got independence in 1960, where the administration of the country was given to people without experience in how to run a country, and these people handed over their power to their clans’ member, instead of to hand over who ever that could deal the challenge, regardless of clan member, but at the end you had one clan ruler who considered anyone as an enemy who stood in their way.

I don’t believe it’s an impossible task to unify the country. It takes a honest man.

And another obstacle is the inference from outside world.

]]> By: Anon http://austrolabe.com/2006/12/29/somalia-is-anarchy-the-solution-or-the-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-3940 Anon Sat, 30 Dec 2006 09:38:02 +0000 http://austrolabe.com/2006/12/29/somalia-is-anarchy-the-solution-or-the-problem/#comment-3940 True, "it may be easier to get an accurate picture of a country’s condition if there is no state attempting to hide or skew the data in its favour"; however, the question still remains how they got the data and how reliable the data is. Equally, there is also the question of how much Somalia benefitted from the number of NGOs involved, compared with other countries. Unfortunately, as you say, government- especially an African government, alas- is often much more concerned with its own power and profit than the benefit of the people of the country. There is another government in Somalia in fact- in former British Somaliland- which seems to be more generally accepted in that area than either the "official" government or the islamic courts. True, “it may be easier to get an accurate picture of a country’s condition if there is no state attempting to hide or skew the data in its favour”; however, the question still remains how they got the data and how reliable the data is. Equally, there is also the question of how much Somalia benefitted from the number of NGOs involved, compared with other countries.
Unfortunately, as you say, government- especially an African government, alas- is often much more concerned with its own power and profit than the benefit of the people of the country.
There is another government in Somalia in fact- in former British Somaliland- which seems to be more generally accepted in that area than either the “official” government or the islamic courts.

]]> By: Amir http://austrolabe.com/2006/12/29/somalia-is-anarchy-the-solution-or-the-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-3906 Amir Fri, 29 Dec 2006 15:11:52 +0000 http://austrolabe.com/2006/12/29/somalia-is-anarchy-the-solution-or-the-problem/#comment-3906 The author has used datasets from the UNDP, UNICEF, UNESCO and the World Bank's <a href="http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/DATASTATISTICS/0,,contentMDK:20398986~menuPK:64133163~pagePK:64133150~piPK:64133175~theSitePK:239419,00.html" rel="nofollow">World Development Indicators</a>. It is not necessary for there to be a state in order to collect accurate statistics. In fact, in some cases, it may be easier to get an accurate picture of a country's condition if there is no state attempting to hide or skew the data in its favour. The author has used datasets from the UNDP, UNICEF, UNESCO and the World Bank’s World Development Indicators. It is not necessary for there to be a state in order to collect accurate statistics. In fact, in some cases, it may be easier to get an accurate picture of a country’s condition if there is no state attempting to hide or skew the data in its favour.

]]> By: Anon http://austrolabe.com/2006/12/29/somalia-is-anarchy-the-solution-or-the-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-3905 Anon Fri, 29 Dec 2006 14:59:12 +0000 http://austrolabe.com/2006/12/29/somalia-is-anarchy-the-solution-or-the-problem/#comment-3905 How reliable are the statistics you give for Somalia, though? In a state with no gvernment, how were they obtained? How reliable are the statistics you give for Somalia, though? In a state with no gvernment, how were they obtained?

]]> By: Tariq Nelson http://austrolabe.com/2006/12/29/somalia-is-anarchy-the-solution-or-the-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-3902 Tariq Nelson Fri, 29 Dec 2006 13:51:05 +0000 http://austrolabe.com/2006/12/29/somalia-is-anarchy-the-solution-or-the-problem/#comment-3902 What's more is that many Somalis here in the US were planning to go home. As the situation became more and more stable, I can only imagine that more and more would have left. Isn't this what they want? What’s more is that many Somalis here in the US were planning to go home. As the situation became more and more stable, I can only imagine that more and more would have left. Isn’t this what they want?

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