Description
Assignment Option 2: Fragile State Analysis
For your portfolio project, you will evaluate a fragile (formerly called failed) state and develop a plan to help it recover and get back on the right track. This will involve a survey of the country’s history, the source of its problems, information about its people, economy, and culture, and its potential to succeed if given a chance.
The Global Policy Forum website provides information on fragile/failed states in general, as well as specific states.
ForeignPolicy.com provides the 2014 list of most fragile/failed states. You may choose your country for this study from the countries in dark red on the map at the bottom of the opening page.
General information:
- Population of the country (see 1 below for more information)
- Important ethnic or racial groups and divisions
- Per capita gross domestic product (see 2 below for more information)
- UN Human Development Index rankings (see 2 below for more information)
- Freedom House scores for political rights and civil liberties (see 3 below for more information)
- The economic position of your country compared to other countries (wealthy, poor, middle income).
History:
- Provide an overview of the country’s history, focusing on when and why it began to have problems leading to its fragile/failed status.
Classification and structure of government:
- Although fragile/failed states lack an effective government, this does not mean that no one is trying to run the country or at least parts of the country. Who is trying to govern your chosen country? How are they attempting to do this?
- Are there attempts to hold elections? If so, how are these elections conducted, and what is voter turnout (See 4 below for more information)? When was the most recent election held, and what were the results?
Competition, stability and civil society:
- Do political parties exist? If so, what are they, and what role do they play in the country’s problems and/or efforts to provide structure?
- Are there any recent political changes?
- Major social movements?
- Are their divisions or conflicts based on race/religion/culture, etc? Has genocide taken place?
- Who provides basic services such as utilities, education, medical care, etc?
- What is daily life like for the people?
Economic environment:
- Major industries
- Natural resources
- Other sources of revenue
- Reliance on foreign aid.
Other questions:
- What are the most important political, economic, environmental and human rights issues facing your country?
- Is your country in conflict with its neighbors or other countries?
- What are its relations with major global powers ‑- the U.S., Europe, China, etc?
Conclude the paper with your assessment of the country’s future. What could be done to help the country become stable and develop an effective government? Include what the people can do to help themselves, as well as the role that other countries and humanitarian aid groups could play.
Required Resources:
- Data can be accessed through the World Bank website.
- Data can be found on the website of the UN Human Development Report
- Data available at Freedomhouse.org
- Data on election turnout available on the website of the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
Additional Requirements:
- Write a formal eight to ten page essay complete with discussion and citation from at least ten credible academic sources other than required course readings to support your findings. The CSU-Global Library is an excellent place to search for scholarly sources.
- In addition, provide a reference list, in alphabetical order by last name of author, in APA format, and include a title page at the beginning.
- Always follow CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements style and review the library material concerning APA style before turning in this assignment.
Explanation & Answer
Attached.
Running head: SOMALIA
Somalia
Institution
Course
Date
SOMALIA
2
Somalia
Overview of Somalia’s History
Somalia is located in the Horn of Africa, Eastern Africa. It borders Ethiopia to the North,
Djibouti, and Eritrea to the North West, Kenya to the East and the Indian Ocean to the South and
West. It has the longest coastline in Africa (Murunga, 2005). As of 2015, the country had a
population of 10,787, 104. The population is expected to have increased sharply with the
repatriation of refugees from Kenya and others flowing back to the country after the Amisom
forces drove Al Shabab from most towns in the Southern area. In the same year, the country had
a GDP of 5.9 million Us dollars (Sheikh, 2016).
Somalia is largely inhabited by ethnic Somalis. The nation of Somalia got its
independence as an amalgam of former Italy and British colonies in 1960. Somali set off after
independence as a stable democracy until 1969 when General Siad Barre overthrew the
government. President Bare, a dictatorial president, ruled till 1991 when he was also overthrown.
In 1991 the country degenerated to into clan-based warfare (Payton, 1980).
The fighting and famine led to the death of more than 300 thousand people between 1991
and 1992. The US forces under the UN humanitarian mission was forced to intervene. The
intervention left more than 100 UN soldiers dead leading to the withdrawal of international
forces from Somalia. The country remained lawless for a decade until the Djibouti conference in
2000. The conference was attended by all warring factions. The summit decided on a 275
Transitional Federal Assembly clan having an equal number of representatives. Abdullahi Yusuf
was chosen as the president. Divisions emerged in the new formation, a section of clan elders
and Islamists alliance combined to form the Islamic Courts Union which became a dominant
SOMALIA
3
force that swept through the southern regions and Mogadishu. With the US support, Ethiopian
troops fought the ICU and pushed it to the extreme south of the country in 2006 (Lyons &
Samatar, 2010).
Moderate ICU leaders formed an alliance with non-Islamist opposition members,
Alliance for the Somalia Re-liberation (ARS). The UN-brokered the Union and the TFA was
expanded to accommodate the new deal. The Ethiopian forces withdrew in 2009 leading the
swearing in of Sheikh Ahmed as the president of Somalia. The Al Shabab, an insurgent group,
made constant attacks on the new government. In 2010 it made an Alliance with Al Qaeda group.
The African Union sent troops to Somali to help the fragile government in place. The African
Union forces from Burundi, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti pushed the Al Shabab from
most major towns in the Southern part (Samatar, 2012).
Some two parts of Somali declared independence, Punt land, and Somaliland. The semiautonomous regions are relatively stable with functional governments but without international
recognition. On the other parts of the country suicide bombers and guerilla, ambushes have
become a norm. Piracy in the Indian Ocean escalated and affected the maritime activities in the
Indian Ocean.
Somalia lacks functional judicial courts and enough security personnel to ensure clear
rule of law and maintenance of order. Due to weak institutions at place, there is rampant
corruption and stealing of public property. There is poor revenue collecti...
