Publié le 01/09/2015
Jean-Bernard VERON

Since gaining independence in 1960, Somalia has enjoyed only a few periods of stability. 

Wars with neighbouring countries – Ethiopia in particular – have persisted, causing serious internal issues, especially since the fall of dictator Siad Barre in 1991. Four causes explain this chronic instability: the incapacity to create a strong state, the battle for resources, the rise of radical Islam, and the high frequency of external interventions.

 

Article published in Politique étrangère, Vol. 80, No. 3, Autumn 2015 [1]