Day: February 19, 2020

Somaliland: Key to Winning America’s Longest War

On February 7, 2019, Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, AFRICOM commander, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that U.S. airstrikes alone would not defeat Al-Shabaab, the Al Qaeda-affiliated militant group with deep roots in Somalia. Instead, he said, local forces need to “step up.” He is right, so it is especially unfortunate that when local forces step up to rebuff Al-Shabaab, AFRICOM ignores them. Continue reading “Somaliland: Key to Winning America’s Longest War”

Somaliland: A Success Story Without the Billions and Bombs

Somaliland is a success story in a part of the world where those are rare. For 27 years, the self-declared state—with little outside assistance—has defied the odds. In contrast with Somalia, from which it declared its independence in 1991, Somaliland has enjoyed years of relative stability and democratic governance. Continue reading “Somaliland: A Success Story Without the Billions and Bombs”