Laura Hammond, School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, published an article titled "Somalia Rising: Things Are Starting to Change for the World's Longest Failed State" in volume 7, issue 1 (2013) of the Journal of Eastern African Studies.
The article examines some of the challenges facing the new Somali government and assesses the dynamics which allowed the emergence of relative newcomers into important roles, especially President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. She wonders if the recent optimism is justified and will it be sustained?