Sunday, August 14, 2011

Al-Shabaab, the international community and famine in Somalia

I call to your attention an excellent interview with Rashid Abdi, Nairobi-based analyst for the International Crisis Group, published by the Council on Foreign Relations on 10 August, 2011.

Abdi emphasizes the factions in al-Shabaab and the negative impact they are having on providing food to needy Somalis. While it was slow to deal with the problem, I think Abdi is excessively critical of the response to the drought by the international community and its earlier failure to invest in agriculture in the Juba Valley.

How does the international community deliver food to areas where it is excluded by al-Shabaab and how does it invest in agriculture in the Juba Valley that is controlled by al-Shabaab?