Anonymous ID: 042fb8 Feb. 14, 2021, 3:06 p.m. No.12927235   🗄️.is đź”—kun

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/02/05/somalia-election-conflict-women-economic-development/

 

Somalia is on borrowed time. The fabric of its society is in tatters due to ceaseless clan-based political conflict that has hindered economic and social development for almost three decades. Since 1991, Somalia’s civil war has brought, among other things, political instability, famine, and terrorism. The country goes from one disaster to another, and that cycle must end. It is time for real change—and Somalia must start with economics.

 

Since Somalia established a transitional government in 2000, Somali politicians have consistently lacked the will to lift millions of Somalis out of insecurity, instability, and economic despair. Instead, they continue to have the wrong national dialogue, motivated by clan-based politics, and the Somali people fall prey to their tactics. Somalia’s economic problems cannot be cured by the Band-Aid of politics as usual. Regardless of which president Somalia elects on Feb. 8, the new leaders have a moral duty to come up with a viable framework of sustainable economic development that prioritizes inclusivity and shared prosperity. Millions of economically and socially disenfranchised Somalis want to get educations, feed their families, and live peaceful lives with dignity. That is possible, but it will take a firm dedication and sincere commitment on the part of the country’s decision-making stakeholders—something Somalis have yet to witness.

 

Because the country’s divisions are numerous, rewiring Somalia’s economy to benefit all citizens is a tall order. Somali society is structured largely by clans. And since 2000, its political system has been based on the “4.5 formula”—a power-sharing arrangement among the four large clans and a cluster of smaller ones—that has led to political stalemate and further divides. Instead of having a collective identity and shared goals, Somalis harp on their perceived differences—however insignificant they may be. This trend has worsened with the democratization of the internet. Although the media has played a positive and important role in informing Somalis worldwide of national affairs, fringe segments of the media often benefit from both peddling misinformation and enflaming the country’s divisions—and Somalis avidly consume content on social media and spread what they see.

 

As Somali women economists, businesswomen, and mothers who are the backbone of our society, we believe Somalia can strive to rebuild its national allegiance that was once the envy of Africa in the decades before the civil war through economic development and an equitable resource-sharing strategy. Nothing is more important than the pursuit of prosperity at the local, regional, and national levels. Only once that’s achieved will Somalia create the peace and political stability that has long eluded it.