DOCSLIB.ORG

Tahir, Abdifatah I.Pdf

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Tahir, Abdifatah I.Pdf A University of Sussex PhD thesis Available online via Sussex Research Online: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/ This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Please visit Sussex Research Online for more information and further details URBAN GOVERNANCE, LAND CONFLICTS AND SEGREGATION IN HARGEISA, SOMALILAND: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES AND CONTEMPORARY DYNAMICS ABDIFATAH I TAHIR This thesis is submitted to the Department of Geography, School of Global Studies, University of Sussex, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) OCTOBER 1, 2016 DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY SCHOOL OF GLOBAL STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX 1 | Page ORIGINALITY STATEMENT I hereby declare that this thesis has not been and will not be submitted in whole or in part to another University for the award of any other degree. Signature 2 | Page I. ABSTRACT This thesis offers an explanation for why urban settlement in Somaliland’s capital city of Hargeisa is segregated along clan lines. The topic of urban segregation has been neglected in both classic Somali studies, and recent studies of post-war state-building and governance in Somaliland. Such negligence of urban governance in debates over state-making stems from a predominant focus on national and regional levels, which overlooks the institutions governing cities. Yet urban governance can provide key insights into the nature and quality of interaction between people and the local state, and the processes of making and unmaking of Somali urban spaces. Given the rapid urban growth in the Somali populated territories, I propose a shift in focus to explore city spaces, as a means of deepening understanding of Somali social, political and spatial organisation. In advancing this proposed shift, the thesis scrutinises the nexus between governance and segregation in Hargeisa, drawing on urban ethnographic methods, interview and archival sources. I argue that segregation in the city can be understood as the spatial manifestation of governance practices across colonial and postcolonial periods, in intersection with bottom up processes, particularly the quest for security and peacebuilding in what is largely characterised as a hybrid order. The concept of hybrid governance – while capturing important aspects of control over city space - is often insufficiently historicised and politicised to convey the complex intersection of state institutions, clan and sub-clan allegiance and traditional authorities. My analysis thus situates recent urban governance and conflicts over land in a longer history of municipal governance, urban land administration and conflict adjudication. This historical perspective is important for the understanding of how segregation has been reproduced over time, and adds a new dimension to the understandings of the drivers and dynamics of Hargeisa’s spatial character. KEY WORDS: Urban, Segregation, State-building, Governance, Hybrid (ity), Customary, and Clan 3 | Page II. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor, Prof JoAnn McGregor, without whose tremendous and continuous support this research would not have been possible to complete. Prof McGregor’s selfless time and attention as well as her helpful comments and constructive critiques have sharpened my thoughts and pushed me to critical boundaries that allowed me to look at issues from diverse perspectives. I must say that I could not have possibly asked for a better supervisor. I would also like to thank my secondary supervisor, Dr Ceri Oeppen, for her support and valuable advice and comments in meetings and on drafts. Similarly, my thanks go to the Observatory of Conflict and Violence Prevention in Hargeisa which not only funded this study partially but also provided me with connections and logistical support. I am particularly indebted to its Director, Abdullahi Odowa, the Head of the Research Department, Ahmed Muse, the Head of the Logistics and Human Resources Department, Safia Ali, and the drivers, Mohamed and Saad. Indispensable also was support from the Department for International Development (DFID), and I particularly wish to thank Mr Ivan Parks who was inspirational and helpful at all times. Equally, I am indebted to thank the academic and administrative community of the University of Sussex Doctoral School for co-funding the study and School of Global Studies for their distinctive engagement and support in discussions, deeds and dealings. My thanks also go to all the people who either facilitated access to information or provided me with data in both oral and written forms. Because of the limitations in space, I cannot mention them all but a few, including Mohamed Abdi, Mohamed Diriye, Abdifatah Ibrahim, Mohamed Hussein, Mohamed Farah, Hussein Samatar, Ibrahim Idle, and Jamal Qawdan. I also would like to thank all the other individuals or institutions that helped me in some form or shape in the process of conducting this research, whom I have not implicitly or explicitly acknowledged. Last but not least, I wish to thank my family members whose names I cannot, for practical and political reasons (entirely domestic in nature), list here. 4 | Page III. LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Map of Hargeisa .......................................................................................................... 13 Figure 2: Somaliland Administrative Map .................................................................................. 14 Figure 3: The annual Distribution of Cases handled by the Land Commissions, 2009-13 ........ 141 Figure 4: The Spatial Distribution of Land Disputes Handled by the Land Commissions, 2009-13 .................................................................................................................................................. 142 Figure 5: Active Conflict on a Plot of Land in Masalaha, a neighbourhood in Southern Hargeisa .................................................................................................................................................. 157 Figure 6: Weapons used in the attack, as claimed by security officials ................................... 200 Figure 7: Government officials speaking to the media in the aftermath of the incident ......... 201 IV. LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Urban and rural population, urban proportion and average annual rate of change .... 10 Table 2: The range of key informant and general interviews ..................................................... 53 Table 3: The list of focus groups ................................................................................................. 54 Table 4: Number of flights in Hargeisa Egal International Airport ........................................... 165 Table 5: The Volume (Kg) of cargo Handled at Hargeisa Airport .............................................. 166 Table 6: The Number of Passengers Handled at Hargeisa Airport ........................................... 166 5 | Page V. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS APD Academy for Peace and Development CACAS Civil Aviation Caretaker Authority for Somalia DC District Commissioner DRC Danish Refugee Council DDF District Development Framework DFID Department for International Development ICAO International Civil Aviation Organisation IFC International Finance Corporation INGO International Non-Governmental Organisations JPLG Joint Program for Local Governance LUMI Land Urban Management Institute MA Ministry of Agriculture MCAAT Ministry of Civil Aviation and Air Transport MD Ministry of Defence MFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs MH Ministry of Health MI Ministry of Information MJ Ministry of Justice ML Ministry of Livestock MMR Ministry of Mineral Resources MNPD Ministry of National Planning and Development MOI Ministry of Interior MOP Ministry of the Office of the Presidency MPT Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications MPWHT Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Transportation MRDE Ministry of Rural Development and Environment NUPI National Urban Planning Board NGO Non-Governmental Organisation OCVP Observatory of Conflict and Violence Prevention PC Provincial Commissioner RDP Reconstruction and Development Program RRA Rahanweyn Resistance Army SNL Somali National League SM Spokesman Movement SNM Somali National Movement SORADI Social Research and Development Institute SPR Standards and Recommended Practices SSP State Safety Programs SYL Somali Youth League UCID Ururka Cadaalada iyo Daryeelka UDUB Ururka Dimuqraadiga Ummadda Bahawday UN United Nations UN-Habitat United Nations Habitat Program UNDP United Nations Development Program WB World Bank 6 | Page TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 9 1.1 Why Hargeisa? ................................................................................................................ 11 1.2 Research Aims and Questions ........................................................................................ 14 1.3 Structure of the Thesis ................................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER 2 DEBATING HYBRID GOVERNANCE
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 2007 Annual Report
    2007 Annual Report Innovating targeted products, services and partnerships around Minnesota. ADC’s mission is to work within African communities in Minnesota to start and sustain successful businesses, build assets, and promote community reinvestment. To our clients, we are “your guide to financial success in America.” Contents Introduction 2 Hussein Samatar: Gaining in influence at home and abroad Programs 3-6 ADC partners with City of Minneapolis to launch alternative financing program Now serving Greater Minnesota ADC launches mortgage company Spotlight: Abdi Duh, Greater Minnesota partner Success Stories 7-13 City Market: opening big Mustaqbal Computer: a growing niche Lucky Fashion: perfect timing Kulan: Getting together Community Hero Abdi Adan Vision 14-15 Bamson Fadipe: Building the ADC brand RT Rybak: Famous in Freetown Financials 16-17 Board & Staff 18-19 Partners & Funders 20 Gaining in influence, at home and abroad by Hussein Samatar, ADC Executive Director Introduction From Hamburg, Germany, to Hutchinson in Central Minnesota, ADC covered a lot of territory in 2007. Traveling on a Marshall Memorial Fellowship, I visited Hamburg, Paris, Rome, Belgrade, Brussels to observe the conditions of African immigrants and refugees in these European capitals and share the strategies that have succeeded in catalyzing upward mobility among the Twin Cities’ own African population. In summer, I and ADC outreach coordinator Nimo Farah accompanied Minneapolis City Council Member Robert Lilligren to Sweden and Norway, where we presented our local success stories to civic leaders helping Somali refugees in Northern Europe. In May, I addressed the need for new financing products tailored to observant Muslims at a workshop sponsored by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and hosted by the Minnesota Bankers Association.
    [Show full text]
  • Decentralization and Service Delivery in Somaliland A
    DECENTRALIZATION AND SERVICE DELIVERY IN SOMALILAND A Thesis Presented to the School of Postgraduate Studies and Research of Kampala International University Kampala, Uganda In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Public Administration and Management By: Ahmed Abdillahi Dualeh M PA/40296/9 1/DF August, 2011 DECLARATION A “This thesis is my origina’ work and has never been presented for a Degree or any other academic award in any University or Institution of Learning”. u2A~ ~tQL Name and Signature of Candidate Date DECLARATION B TTJ confirm that the work reported in this thesis was carried out by the candidate under my supervision”. Ben’amin Bella Oluka PHD Candidate Name and Signature of Supervisor ~ Date APPROVAL SHEET This thesis entitled Decentralization and service delivery in Somaliland, prepared and submitted by Ahmed Abdillahi Dualeh in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Public Administration and Management has been examined and approved by the panel on oral examination with a grade of: PASSED Dr ~ i2~~ ~ Name and Sig. of Chairman ~ _________ Name and Sig. of Supervisor Name and Sig. of Panelist ‘ ç~~3—i- M—1 ~ Name and Sig. of Panelist Name and Sig. of Panelist Date of Comprehensive Examination: Grade: Name and Sig. of Director, SPGSR Name and Sig. of DVC, SPGS DEDICATION I dedicated this thesis to my old brother Abdirahman Abdillahi Dualeh, My wonderful parents, mum Milgo Daud Egal and Dad Abdillahi Dualeh Ajab and my beloved wife Hamda Mohmed Hussein. 1~ ACKNOWLEDGMENT Foremost, I am grateful to Allah for seeing me through my years of university education.
    [Show full text]
  • Skier Asks for Inclusive Timing Ilhan Omar's Road to Washington
    2018 Holiday Events Guide PAGE B4 November 15–28, 2018 Vol. 29, No. 23 southwestjournal.com A history-The color barrier is broken on the making county board, and a refugee is going to election Congress By Dylan Thomas / [email protected] Voters had a chance to elect a person of color to the Hennepin County Board for the first time ever on Election Day. They elected two. History was also made in the state’s 5th Congressional District, which includes Minneapolis, where voters for the first time elected a refugee to represent them in Washington, D.C. And after spirited challenges to the county’s top two law enforcement officials, Hennepin County voters narrowly elected a new sheriff. Those changes at the local level came as DFLers swept races for governor and the state’s other constitutional offices and a surge of support for Democratic candidates nationwide gave that party control of the U.S. House of Representatives, even as Republicans gained seats in the Senate. Minnesota’s state Legislature will be similarly split along party lines, with DFLers taking the state House from Republicans, who maintained a narrow state Senate majority. SEE ELECTION RESULTS / PAGE A14 Ilhan Omar is one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. Photo courtesy Ilhan Omar for Congress Ilhan Omar’s road Skier asks for to Washington inclusive timing Fulton resident wants state high school league By Michelle Bruch / [email protected] to account for disabilities in races “Here in Minnesota, we don’t only welcome Roots immigrants, we send them to Washington,” said When Omar’s mother was born in Somalia, Congresswoman-elect Ilhan Omar, closing her neighbors came to give condolences.
    [Show full text]
  • Briefing Paper
    NEW ISSUES IN REFUGEE RESEARCH Working Paper No. 65 Pastoral society and transnational refugees: population movements in Somaliland and eastern Ethiopia 1988 - 2000 Guido Ambroso UNHCR Brussels E-mail : [email protected] August 2002 Evaluation and Policy Analysis Unit Evaluation and Policy Analysis Unit United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees CP 2500, 1211 Geneva 2 Switzerland E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.unhcr.org These working papers provide a means for UNHCR staff, consultants, interns and associates to publish the preliminary results of their research on refugee-related issues. The papers do not represent the official views of UNHCR. They are also available online under ‘publications’ at <www.unhcr.org>. ISSN 1020-7473 Introduction The classical definition of refugee contained in the 1951 Refugee Convention was ill- suited to the majority of African refugees, who started fleeing in large numbers in the 1960s and 1970s. These refugees were by and large not the victims of state persecution, but of civil wars and the collapse of law and order. Hence the 1969 OAU Refugee Convention expanded the definition of “refugee” to include these reasons for flight. Furthermore, the refugee-dissidents of the 1950s fled mainly as individuals or in small family groups and underwent individual refugee status determination: in-depth interviews to determine their eligibility to refugee status according to the criteria set out in the Convention. The mass refugee movements that took place in Africa made this approach impractical. As a result, refugee status was granted on a prima facie basis, that is with only a very summary interview or often simply with registration - in its most basic form just the name of the head of family and the family size.1 In the Somali context the implementation of this approach has proved problematic.
    [Show full text]
  • The Case of Somalia (1960-2001)
    UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) State collapse and post-conflict development in Africa : the case of Somalia (1960-2001) Mohamoud, A. Publication date 2002 Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Mohamoud, A. (2002). State collapse and post-conflict development in Africa : the case of Somalia (1960-2001). Thela Thesis. General rights It is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), other than for strictly personal, individual use, unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Disclaimer/Complaints regulations If you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: https://uba.uva.nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible. UvA-DARE is a service provided by the library of the University of Amsterdam (https://dare.uva.nl) Download date:28 Sep 2021 Chapterr four Thee Pitfalls of Colonialism and Public Pursuit 4.1.. Introduction Thiss chapter traces how the change brought about by the colonial imposition led to the primacyy of the public pursuit in Somali politics over a century. The colonial occupation of Somaliaa not only transformed the political economy of Somali society as transformationists emphasizee but also split the Somali people and their territories.74 Therefore, as I will argue in thiss study, the multiple partitioning of the country is one of the key determinants that fundamentallyy account for the destructive turn of events in Somalia at present.
    [Show full text]
  • Electronic Communication and an Oral Culture: the Dynamics of Somali Websites and Mailing Lists
    ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION AND AN ORAL CULTURE: THE DYNAMICS OF SOMALI WEBSITES AND MAILING LISTS BY ABDISALAM M. ISSA-SALWE A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THAMES VALLEY UNIVERSITY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY CENTRE FOR INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SCHOOL OF COMPUTING AND TECHNOLOGY THAMES VALLEY UNIVERSITY SUPERVISORS: DR. ANTHONY OLDEN, THAMES VALLEY UNIVERSITY EMERITUS PROFESSOR I M LEWIS, LSE, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON EXAMINERS: PROFESSOR CHRISTINE MCCOURT, THAMES VALLEY UNIVERSITY DR. MARTIN ORWIN, SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON NOVEMBER 2006 TO MY WIFE HAWO, MY CHILDREN MOHAMED-NASIR, MOHAMUD, ALI, HAFSA-YALAH, HAMDA, SHARMARKE AND YUSUF-HANAD ACKNOWLEDGMENT Foremost, I would like to thank to the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (CARA) who helped in funding my studies. I would like to thank my thesis advisors, Dr. Tony Olden (Thames Valley University) and Emeritus Professor I M Lewis (London School of Economics) for their continuous encouragement, optimism and confidence in me to make it possible to write this dissertation. Both Dr. Olden and Emeritus Professor Lewis put an enormous amount of time and effort into supervision. Likewise, this study has been enhanced through the incisive comments of Dr Stephen Roberts (Thames Valley University). I also appreciate the advice of Dr Mohamed D. Afrax and Abdullahi Salah Osman who read and commented on the manuscript of this dissertation. I am also thankful to Ahmed Mohamud H Jama (Nero) who allowed me to have useful material relevant to my research; Dr. Ebyan Salah who solicited female correspondents to reply to the research questionnaires. I am also grateful to Said Mohamed Ali (Korsiyagaab) and Ismail Said Aw-Muse (PuntlandState.com) who gave me permission to use their websites statistics.
    [Show full text]
  • S/2003/223 Security Council
    United Nations S/2003/223 Security Council Distr.: General 25 March 2003 Original: English Letter dated 25 March 2003 from the Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Somalia addressed to the President of the Security Council On behalf of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Somalia, and in accordance with paragraph 11 of Security Council resolution 1425 (2002), I have the honour to transmit herewith the report of the Panel of Experts mandated to collect independent information on violations of the arms embargo on Somalia and to provide recommendations on possible practical steps and measures for implementing it. In this connection, the Committee would appreciate it if this letter together with its enclosure were brought to the attention of the members of the Security Council and issued as a document of the Council. (Signed) Stefan Tafrov Chairman Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Somalia 03-25925 (E) 210303 *0325925* S/2003/223 Letter dated 24 February 2003 from the Panel of Experts to the Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Somalia We have the honour to enclose the report of the Panel of Experts on Somalia, in accordance with paragraph 11 of Security Council resolution 1425 (2002). (Signed) Ernst Jan Hogendoorn (Signed) Mohamed Abdoulaye M’Backe (Signed) Brynjulf Mugaas 2 S/2003/223 Report of the Panel of Experts on Somalia pursuant to Security Council resolution 1425 (2002) Contents Paragraphs Page Abbreviations ................................................................. 5 Summary ..................................................................... 6 Introduction ......................................................... 1–13 11 Background to the current instability in Somalia ..........................
    [Show full text]
  • Somalia Energy Sector Needs Assessment and Investment Programme November 2015 Somalia - Energy Sector Needs Assessment and Investment Programme
    Somalia Energy Sector Needs Assessment and Investment Programme November 2015 Somalia - Energy Sector Needs Assessment and Investment Programme Copyright © 2015 African Development Bank Group Immeuble du Centre de commerce International d’Abidjan CCIA Avenue Jean-Paul II 01 BP 1387 Abidjan 01, Côte d'Ivoire Phone (Standard): +225 20 26 10 20 Internet: www.afdb.org Rights and Permissions All rights reserved. The text and data in this publication may be reproduced as long as the source is cited. Reproduction for commercial purposes is forbidden. Legal Disclaimer The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed in this report are those of the author/s and are not necessarily those of the African Development Bank. In the preparation of this document, every effort has been made to offer the most current, correct and clearly expressed information possible. Nonetheless, inadvertent errors can occur, and appli - cable laws, rules and regulations may change. The African Development Bank makes its documentation available wi - thout warranty of any kind and accepts no responsibility for its accuracy or for any consequences of its use. Cover design: AfDB Cover photos: Image © AU-UN IST PHOTO/Ilyas A. Abukar; Image © NIGEL CARR ii Somalia - Energy Sector Needs Assessment and Investment Programme Table of contents Foreword v Ackonwledgements vii Abbreviations and acronyms ix Executive summary xi 1. Introduction and background 1 1.1. Introduction 1 1.2. Objectives/scope 3 1.3. Brief description of the current energy sector 3 1.4. Sector organisation and policies 4 1.5. Reliance on the private sector 5 1.6. Four main issues facing Somalia’s energy sector 6 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Interview with the Late Abdullahi Qarshe (1994) at the Residence of Obliqe Carton in Djibouti
    Interview with the late Abdullahi Qarshe (1994) at the Residence of Obliqe Carton in Djibouti Mohamed-Rashid Sheikh Hassan mrsh: Let us start with the basics. When and where were you born? aq: I was born in Moshe, Tanzania, in 1924. mrsh: People know you as Abdullahi Qarshe, but what is your real name? aq: Oh, yes, that is true. My real name is Mahmud Muhammad, and Qarshe was the nickname of my father. He was a businessman and trader in the livestock business in East Africa. He was regarded as a frugal man and was fortunate in business. We were five brothers and one sister. We lived in a big house on the outskirts of Moshe. mrsh: Tell us more about the background of your family and the rea- son your father moved to Tanzania. aq: My father emigrated from Sanaag region in what was at that time called British Somaliland. In those days, emigration (tacabbir) was pop- ular. Men used to travel for work and a better life, but it was not an easy task. Those who emigrated to East Africa, my father included, went through southern Somalia first of all, then proceeded to Tanza- nia. They had to travel by road or foot through harsh and unfriendly territories. Some of the migrants died along the way, and my father was one of the fortunate who survived. In the Sanaag region, my father’s family lived in the Maydh district. They were involved in the fish industry and the exportation of live- stock and animal hides, as well as timber, to the Gulf countries.
    [Show full text]
  • 2010 by Bram Piot
    Birding in and around Hargeisa, Somaliland, December 2010 by Bram Piot From December 10 to 17 I stayed in Hargeisa for my work with PSI, a public health NGO that recently established an office in Somaliland. For Saturday 11th I had organised a day out birding with Abdi Jama from NatureSomaliland, who had also guided three groups earlier this year – the first commercial birding tours to visit Somaliland. Our day trip took us east of Hargeisa through thorn bush, acacia woodland, rocky plains and wadis all the way to the vast Tuuyo plain (see map 1). Several very productive stops were made along the first 20 kilometers of the trip; Tuuyo plain was explored in the early afternoon so the birds there was not very active – e.g. none of the larks were singing, but this may also be because it is non-breeding season for most species. Our late lunch stop to the north of Shaarub village proved to be a good spot, but a long drive back to Hargeisa prevented us from fully exploring this area or the plains that we crossed further to the north (Qoryale for example looked pretty good). On hindsight, it probably would have been more efficient (less driving, more birding!) to drive back the way we came, rather than doing the long loop towards the Hargeisa-Berbera tarmac road. Total trip distance was about 280 km. Nearly 100 species were recorded during this day trip, with personal highlights including 3 species of Bustard (Little Brown, Heuglin’s, Buff-crested), several confiding Somali and Double- banded Coursers, a Greyish Eagle-Owl, 6 lark species including the endemic Lesser Hoopoe and Sharpe’s Larks, an Arabian Warbler, several Golden-breasted Starlings, a Three-streaked Tchagra, Rosy-patched Bush-shrikes, Somali Wheatears, Somali Bee-eaters, a group of Scaly Chatterers, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • Bk-Somali-Conflict-Part6-010194-En.Pdf
    POSTSCRIPT Several significant developments have taken place since Mark Bradbury submitted his report in October 1993. 1 On 3-4 October several US servicemen and numerous Somalis were killed in the Bakhara Market in Mogadishu, when US special forces attempted to capture the leaders of General Aideed's Somali National Alliance. As a result, the USA and UN took the decision to wind down their military operations in Somalia. In Mogadishu itself, UN and US forces have been largely confined to barracks, and only minimal protection has been offered to humanitarian agencies. 2 US policy is motivated by the attempt to withdraw completely from Somalia with some measure of honour. A temporary build-up of the use of military hardware was accompanied by an announcement that all US forces would be withdrawn by 31 March 1994. At the same time, greater diplomatic emphasis was put on scaling down the conflict with Aideed and the SNA. Much of this work was carried out by ex-Ambassador Oakley. It led ultimately to the withdrawal of the warrant for Aideed's arrest, and the release in January 1994 of all detainees held by the UN, among them several of Aideed's key aides. 3 The US decision to withdraw by the end of March 1994 was quickly followed by similar decisions by the Belgians, Germans, Swedes, and Italians — indeed, by all the European forces under the UN umbrella. As a result of these unilateral decisions, the UN has been forced to scale down its whole peace-enforcement operation in Somalia, with a target of approximately 18,000 troops on the ground after March 1994.
    [Show full text]
  • Turkey's Somalia Adventure: the Quest for Soft Power and Regional Recognition by Matthew T
    Turkey's Somalia Adventure: the Quest for Soft Power and Regional Recognition by Matthew T. Gullo About the author: Matthew T. Gullo has received an MA Degree in Political Science from Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. His Master’s thesis is entitled: "Turkish Foreign Policy: Neo-Ottomanism 2.0 and the Future of Turkey’s Relations with the West." © 2012 ResearchTurkey. All rights reserved. This publication cannot be printed, reproduced, or copied without referencing the original source. Please cite this publication as follows: Gullo, Matthew T. (June, 2012), “Turkey's Somalia Adventure: the Quest for Soft Power and Regional Recognition”, Centre for Policy Analysis and Research on Turkey (ResearchTurkey), London: ResearchTurkey (http://researchturkey.org/?p=1226) URL: http://researchturkey.org/?p=1226 © 2012 ResearchTurkey Turkey's Somalia Adventure: the Quest for Soft Power and Regional Recognition Matthew T. Gullo Abstract: This paper examines a unique dimension in contemporary Turkish foreign policy: “Turkish exceptionalism” in the Middle East. “Turkish exceptionalism” is the coupling of political altruism, embedded in Prime Minister Erdoğan’s personal international agenda, with Turkish “soft power” in the Muslim world to assist failed states. With Such policies simultaneously advance Turkey’s national interests and objectives that further its international power and prestige. By demonstrating this relationship in statecraft vis-à-vis Turkey’s involvement in rebuilding and stabilising Somalia, this “new” aspect of its foreign policy can be decrypted. This paper also argues that while Turkey’s intention to be a responsible power in Somalia is genuine, the wider geo-politics of Turkey advancing its raison d'etat is coupled within this paradigm.
    [Show full text]