Mark Russell Blog 3:Failed Nations

Mark Russell

GOVT 200

22 October 2013

Mark Shirk

Somalia: A Nation or Not?

            Within this blog post I would like to examine Somalia in regards to it being a nation or a state on the international level.  In my mind Somalia has fallen to a state of turmoil that is so desperate that the government can no longer function outside the capital city of Mogadishu. From the lecture, we know of a failed state as one that has not been able to have legitimate structure or a failure to provide basic services to their citizens. In the minds of many, Somalia has not had a structured or central government since their Civil War in 1991.

            At this point, I believe Somalia may be considered to be a failed state that should not be recognized by the outside world as a government until them have successfully eliminated Al-Shabaab, a cell of al-Qaeda. In addition, this terror cell has over 14,000 operatives performing regular acts of destruction and violence, preventing much action by the government. Additionally, the Somali people are notorious for their modern day acts of piracy that have terrorized trade in the Indian Ocean. As a last piece of background information, Somalia has been ranked number one on the failed state index for the last five years in a row due to its lack of government and horrid living conditions.

            At this time, I couldn’t foresee the global community recognizing Somalia as a practical nation on the international circuit. It cannot contribute to the international system outside of a slight trade industry, which is interrupted by pirates regardless. With a country a terrorist cell runs that and pirates with no traditional government structure, I couldn’t see any other international power looking to Somalia for assistance in any sort of matter.

            This brings me to my point on the failure of the Somalian state. They are failing to protect their citizens from the violence that Al-Shabaab has brought with them, while having one of the lowest literacy rates in the world. Additionally, with little government structure, the people of Somalia are struggling to survive and are considered to be one of the most disease-ridden countries in the world, with epidemics in AIDS, HIV, and malaria. While I do believe they should receive a substantial amount of aid, I don’t believe the government should regulate it, seeing as they have virtually no control.

            What can be done to incorporate Somalia into the national system? I believe that there needs to be a dismantling of the terrorist organizations before global aid organization, like UNICEF or the Red Cross can move in and provide humanitarian aid. This operation must occur without international I also believe that the government could then prosper and begin to rebuild the shattered infrastructure.

            I do believe that although Somalia is in a fractured state with no true government in place, I don’t think that it has fallen into a state of disrepair. I think that currently, Somalia and its government cannot be recognized on an international level, but could eventually rise to that standing through the help of foreign countries.