Somalia, a country that has often been called a ‘failed state’, seems to be on the path towards complete anarchy for the last two decades.
One of the resolutions of the Somalia conference in London last week is that more troops will be stationed in Mogadishu, they will extend their area of operation outside the capital and the UN has decided to move the Political Office for Somalia back to Mogadishu. The African Union has also declared that they will extend their peace mandate for a year.
Will these resolutions be enough for a fragmented country like Somalia and should external actors play a bigger role in the rebuilding of this country?
Not only should the local stability of the horn of Africa be considered, but also the effect that instability in this region has on international politics, like sea trade for example.
Because of the chaos and the poverty that the country finds itself in, it is the ideal spot for new terrorist groups to emerge. This factor should also be included if a comprehensive resolutions for Somalia is to be formed.
For general but quite thorough background information on Somalia: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2863.htm
