The Somali Civil War : an anatomy of state collapse and the progress towards its reconstitution

Abstract

This paper traces the history and dynamics of state collapse and anarchy in Somalia. It argues that the disintegration of the state is associated with the country's political, demographic and ethnic contestations, as well as failure in post-colonial state-building - in particular, the construction of prebendal state in the post-colonial era. The paper identifies external intervention, as well as a host of political, social, humanitarian factors as the underpinning antecedents of state collapse and the rise of warlords, pirates and militias. The paper also examines the prospects of state reconstruction and peacebuilding in the light of recent events: the conduct of democratic elections, the establishment of an AU-led and UN-supported peacekeeping mission in Somalia, the mission's defeat of El-Shabaab and recapture of the port of Kismayo and vast territories in the hinterland; the relocation of UN humanitarian mission from Nairobi to Mogadishu and the nascent resolve amongst the...