POST: Anarchy in Somalia

ARTICLE: In Somalia, Those Who Feed Off Anarchy Fuel It, By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN, New York Times, April 25, 2007

I find all the descriptions of clans in Somalia sort of confusing, because Somalia, according to every East African I've ever met, consists really of just one tribe.

In fact, my buddy from Kenya, BGen Ngewa Mukala, remarked that everyone assumes tribes are the source of clashes and yet here is the one country in East Africa that's all one tribe, and yet "look at the problems!"

So I'm assuming clans are just family groupings within proper tribes, yes?

The other causal expectation I've heard on Somalia's "5 stars" (the 3 regions of Somalia proper plus Ethiopia's Ogaden plus Djibouti) tension with its neighbors (the Somali flag still sports all 5) is that the real, old-school cause behind all its trouble with neighbors is that Somalis are serious nomad gatherers, so they've never adjusted to the whole border concept.

This story would fit that whole, we-don't-need-no-stinkin'-badges profile..

Thanks to Anton for sending this.