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Somalia NEWS MEDIA
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Background: Britain withdrew from British Somaliland in 1960 to allow
its protectorate to join with Italian Somaliland and form the
new nation of Somalia. In 1969, a coup headed by Mohamed SIAD
Barre ushered in an authoritarian socialist rule that managed
to impose a degree of stability in the country for a couple of
decades. After the regime's overthrow early in 1991, Somalia
descended into turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy. In
May 1991, northern clans declared an independent Republic of
Somaliland that now includes the administrative regions of
Awdal, Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sool. Although
not recognized by any government, this entity has maintained a
stable existence, aided by the overwhelming dominance of a
ruling clan and economic infrastructure left behind by
British, Russian, and American military assistance programs.
The regions of Bari, Nugaal, and northern Mudug comprise a
neighboring self-declared autonomous state of Puntland, which
has been self-governing since 1998 but does not aim at
independence; it has also made strides toward reconstructing a
legitimate, representative government but has suffered some
civil strife. Puntland disputes its border with Somaliland as
it also claims portions of eastern Sool and Sanaag. Beginning
in 1993, a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the
south) was able to alleviate famine conditions, but when the
UN withdrew in 1995, having suffered significant casualties,
order still had not been restored. The mandate of the
Transitional National Government (TNG), created in August 2000
in Arta, Djibouti, expired in August 2003. A two-year peace
process, led by the Government of Kenya under the auspices of
the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD),
concluded in October 2004 with the election of Abdullahi YUSUF
Ahmed as President of the Transitional Federal Government of
Somalia and the formation of a transitional government, known
as the Somalia Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs). The
Somalia TFIs include a 275-member parliamentary body, known as
the Transitional Federal Assembly (TFA), a transitional Prime
Minister, Ali Mohamed GEDI, and a 90-member cabinet. The
Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has been deeply divided
since just after its creation and until late December 2006
controlled only the town of Baidoa. In June 2006, a loose
coalition of clerics, business leaders, and Islamic court
militias known as the Supreme Council of Islamic Courts (SCIC)
defeated powerful Mogadishu warlords and took control of the
capital. The Courts continued to expand, spreading their
influence throughout much of southern Somalia and threatening
to overthrow the TFG in Baidoa. Ethiopian and TFG forces,
concerned over suspected links between some SCIC factions and
al-Qaida, in late December 2006 drove the SCIC from power, but
the joint forces continue to fight remnants of SCIC militia in
the southwestern corner of Somalia near the Kenyan border. The
TFG, backed by Ethiopian forces, in late December 2006 moved
into Mogadishu, but it continues to struggle to exert control
over the capital and to prevent the reemergence of warlord
rule that typified Mogadishu before the rise of the SCIC.
Borders: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km
Population: 8,227,826
GDP per capita: $565.78 per capita
Capital with population: Mogadishu - (est. 1,500,000 to 3,000,000)
Largest city with population: Mogadishu - (est. 1,500,000 to 3,000,000)
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