Economist: Somalia's state building project is in tatters

[tyrannicalmanager]

This was one of the main guys they quoted for their article lol
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">My comments to The Economist about our solution to the ISIS threat in Puntland <a href="https://t.co/GDjtZ4Gckn">pic.twitter.com/GDjtZ4Gckn</a></p>&mdash; M.Mubarak (@somalianalyst) <a href="">July 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

isn't that a guy qabilist?

 

[tyrannicalmanager]

What Somalis (insert pastoralist Somalis) are good at:
Rearing camels, protecting cattle from predatory animals, surviving in the wilderness.

What Somalis are NOT good at:
Governance, law and order, civility, state building.

The quicker everone realises this the better.

The entire conflict revolves around stopping a Somali led group from governing all of Somalia.

 

[IKHALIIL]

The world is beginning to get a sense that all is not well in the federal republic.

Meet "the world":

 

[repo]

Good to see Hawiye fall. I wish them nothing but the worst. The reporter being in Bosaso and Garowe makes no different, this is the view of the international community.

 

[reer_ugaas_hussein]

The entire conflict revolves around stopping a Somali led group from governing all of Somalia.

Exactly, as evil as al shabaab is they are prove that even under harsch conditions like being sanctioned by the whole world somalis can establish law and order. You can say many things about places under their rule and the nature of their rule but you can‘t say they don‘t have an effective governance.

 

[Midas]

Exactly, as evil as al shabaab is they are prove that even under harsch conditions like being sanctioned by the whole world somalis can establish law and order. You can say many things about places under their rule and the nature of their rule but you can‘t say they don‘t have an effective governance.

My problem with this is what exactly does alshaba govern ? My understanding from looking at maps like this

is that they control a few villages and then have control over major roads and checkpoints. But beyond that they dont actually control any major towns or have any continuous stretch of territory.

 

[reer_ugaas_hussein]

My problem with this is what exactly does alshaba govern ? My understanding from looking at maps like this
View attachment 368330




is that they control a few villages and then have control over major roads and checkpoints. But beyond that they dont actually control any major towns or have any continuous stretch of territory.

They controll all of middle jubba which has a total population of up to half a million and which has cities like jilib, jammame etc. that aren‘t just villages. Ceelbuur is also a large city and there are other cities they rule now like awdeeghle, tiyegelow in KGS etc. Also importantly the large rural areas in the south they control is populated by at least a few million people they govern.

 

[Itsnotthateasy]

Somalia has one of the lowest homicide rates in Africa. There are no mass gang problems in any town or city, even the ones in koonfur. You are unironically safer in Mogadishu at night than you are in Capetown or Pretoria.

The qarax Xamar sometimes gets are not representative of Somali society, those are attacks from a non-state actor. Cities like Damascus and Kyiv are also war torn and have seen bombings as well but it doesn't mean those cities are inherently dangerous or stemmed from Syrians or Ukrainians being unable to govern properly.

In Somalia there are no systems of governnce. There's a free for all mentality with anyone strong enough able to start a checkpoint and extort money. In the capital it is rogue militiary/police who take the money elsewhere clan militias.

People die for lack of basic systems that might come from governance and economic development like access to clean water and very basic health care and the lack of infrastructure needed to deal with the climate.

Somalia has the second highest mortality rate in Africa and 18th in the world after Eastern European countries who are drinking themselves to oblivion or aging societies. It's a war ravaged failed state like Afghanistan and CAR.

 

[Thegoodshepherd]

Meet "the world":View attachment 368322

I will let you in on a secret:
If you see an article about Somalia in the Economist, Foreign Policy, or Foreign Affairs, read that article carefully because many very important people will also read it.

The venue in which this was published is much more important than where the journalist that did the reporting was.

 

[Thegoodshepherd]

My problem with this is what exactly does alshaba govern ? My understanding from looking at maps like this
View attachment 368330




is that they control a few villages and then have control over major roads and checkpoints. But beyond that they dont actually control any major towns or have any continuous stretch of territory.

Alshabab control almost every village and town where there is no SNA or ATMIS presence. This is the vast majority of villages and towns. People in villages and towns that are under the SNA and ATMIS nonetheless also go to Al Shabab courts when they have a dispute over a car crash, farmland, etc...

Once someone has a ruling from Al Shabab almost no one in the red area will try to deny that person the land or compensation they won. Why? Al Shabab enforce their ruling with 'madaxjabin' i.e assassinations.

 

[Abdisamad]

I will let you in on a secret:
If you see an article about Somalia in the Economist, Foreign Policy, or Foreign Affairs, read that article carefully because many very important people will also read it.

The venue in which this was published is much more important than where the journalist that did the reporting was.

Gif master @IKHALIIL is unfortunately not the brightest hsm supporters here on sspot..I already predict he'll drop a couple of gifs and run off thinking he scored a major goal.

 

[Burqad]

Alshabab control almost every village and town where there is no SNA or ATMIS presence. This is the vast majority of villages and towns. People in villages and towns that are under the SNA and ATMIS nonetheless also go to Al Shabab courts when they have a dispute over a car crash, farmland, etc...

Once someone has a ruling from Al Shabab almost no one in the red area will try to deny that person the land or compensation they won. Why? Al Shabab enforce their ruling with 'madaxjabin' i.e assassinations.

They also control many villages and cities that have an SNA or African mercenary presence through a strategy they call the Koormeer. They govern many cities by night even if there are other troops there during the day

 

[Zak12]

Somalia has the second highest mortality rate in Africa and 18th in the world

You are missing my point. Somalia is hardly dangerous hence why the mortality rate comes from children.

Ironically the deadliest and most violent conflict recently on Somali soil was started by Somaliland but I doubt you want to go there.

 

[Burqad]

Good to see Hawiye fall. I wish them nothing but the worst. The reporter being in Bosaso and Garowe makes no different, this is the view of the international community.

If AS takes Xamar Garowe and Hargesia will fall the next year.

 

[Itsnotthateasy]

You are missing my point. Somalia is hardly dangerous hence why the mortality rate comes from children.

Ironically the deadliest and most violent conflict recently on Somali soil was started by Somaliland but I don't you want to go there.

No country on earth has every social ill. Like it's not an achievement. Somalia is finished.

The Lascaanood militia are a mogadishu aligned proxy rebel group so it's really inspired by the erm autonomous zone nonsense in the failed state of Somalia

 

[IKHALIIL]

I will let you in on a secret:
If you see an article about Somalia in the Economist, Foreign Policy, or Foreign Affairs, read that article carefully because many very important people will also read it.

The venue in which this was published is much more important than where the journalist that did the reporting was.

This is crappy journalism, quoting questionable individuals who have made numerous BS claims that have already been proven false. Besides, major powers rely on their own intelligence agencies to gather intel on foreign countries, so frankly, I couldn't care less who reads it.

Gif master @IKHALIIL is unfortunately not the brightest hsm supporters here on sspot..I already predict he'll drop a couple of gifs and run off thinking he scored a major goal.

This article isn't the the win you geniuses think it is

 

[Zak12]

Like it's not an achievement. Somalia is finished.

The country has made remarkable progress and steps towards stability but if that helps you sleep at night I guess.

The Lascaanood militia are a mogadishu aligned proxy rebel group

Nice wild conspiracies They are unionists. Doesn't change the fact that SL fired first.

 

[Itsnotthateasy]

The country has made remarkable progress and steps towards stability but if that helps you sleep at night I guess.

Nice wild conspiracies They are unionists. Doesn't change the fact that SL fired first.

I mean it's remarkable that the longest running, most deadly, most expensive AU mission is in Somalia. That's about all that is remarkable.

 

[Zak12]

I mean it's remarkable that the longest running, most deadly, most expensive AU mission is in Somalia. That's about all that is remarkable.

Yes its remarkable that America has continued to fund the most corrupt government on earth. All that is about to change however and AU will leave and Somalis will take charge.

 

[Itsnotthateasy]

Yes its remarkable that America has continued to fund the most corrupt government on earth. All that is about to change however and AU will leave and Somalis will take charge.