Book
Getting Somalia Wrong? (2012) by Mary Harper: faith, war and hope in a shattered state
Getting Somalia Wrong? Faith, War and Hope in a Shattered State is a 2012 book by the BBC Africa editor Mary Harper, published by Zed Books in the African Arguments series. It argues that the 'failed state' label hides how Somalis kept businesses, telecoms and local politics working without a central government, and that seeing Somalia mainly through the lens of terrorism risks making things worse.
Getting Somalia Wrong?
- Author
- Mary Harper
- Year
- 2012
- Publisher
- Zed Books
- Language
- English
- Sources
- 9 sources
The book
Getting Somalia Wrong? Faith, War and Hope in a Shattered State is a book by Mary Harper, a BBC journalist and Africa editor, published by Zed Books in 2012 in the African Arguments series (Powell's; African Union Library). It is not a chronological history but a set of chapters on themes that explain Somalia at the time (African Arguments, Magnus Taylor).
Its argument
- Beyond the "failed state". Harper argues that the label "failed state" misses what happens on the ground: without a central government, Somali businesses and local politics found ways to work and even grow (How We Made It in Africa).
- Telecoms and trade. She points to the telecoms sector, where Somalia became an early adopter of mobile phones (How We Made It in Africa). See also Mobile money in Somalia.
- Somaliland. Reviewers highlight her account of clan reconciliation and elected institutions in Somaliland (African Arguments, Keith Somerville).
- Security lens. The publisher's description says she argues that viewing Somalia mainly through the prism of al-Qaeda risks further destabilising Somalia and the Horn of Africa (Powell's).
- Intervention. She treats the US and UN intervention of the 1990s as a central example of trying to build a state with foreign soldiers (Peace News).
How it was received
Keith Somerville, reviewing for African Arguments, called it "a realistic but empathetic analysis" (African Arguments). A review in Peace News said that Harper does not discuss earlier US support for the Siad Barre government in the 1980s (Peace News). Harper discussed the book on NPR in 2012 (NPR).
Where to read it
- Lending copy: Internet Archive
- In a library: WorldCat
Related pages
Sources
- Powell's · powells.com
- African Union Library · library.au.int
- African Arguments, Magnus Taylor · africanarguments.org
- How We Made It in Africa · howwemadeitinafrica.com
- African Arguments, Keith Somerville · africanarguments.org
- Peace News · peacenews.info
- NPR · npr.org
- Internet Archive · archive.org
- WorldCat · search.worldcat.org
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Where this matters
- Muqdisho (Mogadishu) and BanaadirMogadishu (Muqdisho) is Somalia's capital and makes up the Banadir region, with about 2.97 million people in 20 districts.
- Hargeysa (Hargeisa) and Woqooyi GalbeedWoqooyi Galbeed is the north-western region that holds Hargeisa (Hargeysa) and the port of Berbera, with about 1 to 1.45 million people.
Same era
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