The Prospects for Somalia

Background

Winston A. Tubman

Winston A. Tubman (born 1941), UN Representat

ive to Somalia, is a Liberian diplomat and politician

of Americo-Liberian descent.

Born in the Maryland County town of Pleebo,

Tubman is the nephew of William V.S. Tubman,

Liberia's longest serving president.

He founded his own law firm in 1968 and served as

legal adviser to the Ministry of Planning and

Economic Affairs during his uncle's administration. A

s a legal expert with degrees from the London School

of Economics, Cambridge University and Harvard

University, he has extensive United Nations

experience. His first job was in the Legal Office in

1973 and most recently he served as the Secretary-

General's representative and head of the United

Nations Political Office for Somalia from 2002 to

2005.

Tubman was the National Democratic Party of

Liberia's (NDPL) presidential candidate in the

11 October 2005 elections. He was defeated in

the first round, coming in fourth place, but he

did receive 9.2% of the vote.

Somalia

Somalia is the easternmost country of

Africa, on the Horn of Africa. It extends from

just south of the Equator northward to the Gulf

of Aden and occupies an important

geopolitical position between sub-Saharan

Africa and the countries of Arabia and

southwestern Asia. The capital, Mogadishu, is

located just north of the Equator on the Indian

Ocean.

The Republic of Somalia was formed in 1960 by the federation of a former Italian colony and a British protectorate. Mohamed Siad Barre (Maxamed Siyaad Barre) held dictatorial rule over the country from October 1969 until January 1991, when he was overthrown in a bloody civil war waged by clan-based guerrillas. Since Siad's fall from power, the country has lacked an effective centralized government, and the continuation of civil hostilities has virtually destroyed the country's economy and infrastructure.

Moreover, a de facto government declared the formation of an independent Republic of Somaliland in the north in 1991; similarly, in 1998 the autonomous region of Puntland (the Puntland State of Somalia) was self-proclaimed in the northeast. The state of turmoil in the country has meant that Somalia's tenuous transitional government has been forced at times to govern from other countries; the turmoil has also contributed to an increase in the number of piracy incidents in the waters off the Somali coast.

For more than a decade the East African nation

of Somalia has been a prime example of the

world’s “failed states”: lawless, violent, and

desperately poor.

Words and Expressions

desecrate

If someone desecrates something which is considered to be holy or very special, they deliberately damage or insult it. e.g. She shouldn't have desecrated the picture of a religious leader.

clash

a state of conflict between persons

e.g. A border clash between the two armies started the war.

bandit

an armed thief who is (usually) a member of a band

e.g. These bandits were arrested several days ago.

propel

cause to move forward with force; give an incentive for action

e.g. His addiction to drugs propelled him towards a life of crime.

pending

awaiting conclusion or confirmation

e.g. A decision on this matter is pending.

skeptical

denying or questioning the tenets of especially a religion

e.g. The leader had the gift of being able to infuse enthusiasm into the most skeptical member of the group.

roam

move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

e.g. He settled down after years of roaming.

batter

To batter someone means to hit them many times, using fists or a heavy object.

e.g. Her battered body was discovered in a field.

haven

a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary

e.g. They have made their home a haven for the homeless orphans.

pre-empt

acquire for oneself before others can do so; take the place of or have precedence over

e.g. The workers took control of the factory in order to pre-empt its sale by the owners.

reconnaissance

the act of reconnoitering (especially to gain information about an enemy or potential enemy)

e.g. The helicopter was returning from a reconnaissance mission.

cohesive

Something that is cohesive consists of parts that fit together well and form a united whole. e.g. Huston had assembled a remarkably cohesive and sympathetic cast.

epidemic

a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease; many people are infected at the same time

e.g. There has recently been an epidemic of crime in our major cities.

catastrophe

an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; a sudden violent change in the earth's surface

e.g. The earthquake was a terrible catastrophe.

embargo

If one country or group of countries imposes an embargo against another, it forbids trade with that country.

e.g. He has called on the government to lift its embargo on trade with Vietnam.