Somalia, a coastal country in East Africa, is a country located in the Horn of Africa, with a coastline of about 1,500 kilometers, connected to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Somalia dates back to ancient times and was once an important trading center between East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. However, Somalia has been anarchic since 1991, with civil war, tribal conflict, terrorism and piracy leading to instability and poverty in the country.
The history of Somalia can be divided into the following stages:
- Prehistory: The Somali region has been settled by humans since at least the Paleolithic period, with the emergence of the Doian and Hargeisan civilizations
- Ancient: Somalia was part of the Horn of Africa, traded with ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman and other civilizations, and was part of the Land of Point. The Somali coast has many ancient trading ports, such as Mogadishu, Zeira, Mosuren, etc.¹.
- Middle Ages: Several powerful sultanates emerge in Somalia, such as the Sultanate of Ajuran, the Sultanate of Adar, the Sultanate of Gladi, etc., dominating regional trade and embracing Islam. Somalia has also hosted some famous Muslim travellers, such as Ibn Battuta and Zheng He¹.
- Modern times: Somalia was divided and colonized by European powers such as Britain, Italy and Ethiopia, forming two colonies, British and Italian Somaliland. Somalis have fought for a long time, represented by the Delvigi State led by Mohammed Abdullah Hassan¹.
- Independence and the Cold War: In 1960, British and Italian Somaliland merged to form the independent Somali Republic. In 1969, Mohame Siad Barre staged a military coup d'état and changed the name of the country to the Somali Democratic Republic. He pursued socialist policies and went to war with Ethiopia in an attempt to realize the ideal of Somali national unity¹².
- Civil War and Secession: In 1991, the Siad Barre regime fell, Somalia descended into civil war, and northern Somaliland declared independence. Since then, the country has entered anarchy, with multiple armed groups vying for control. The United Nations and the African Union have intervened with little success¹².
- Federal Republic: In 2012, the Federal Parliament elected a new President and adopted a new constitution, ending an eight-year transitional period. On September 17, 2012, Somalia became federal, with member states governing autonomously. Federal Government and African Union forces continue to fight militant groups such as Al-Shabaab¹².
Somalia is a country located in the Horn of Africa with about 1,500 kilometers of coastline, connected to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Somalia dates back to ancient times and was once an important trading center between East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. However, Somalia has been anarchic since 1991, with civil war, tribal conflict, terrorism and piracy leading to instability and poverty in the country.
Image source: Web
Image source: Web
Image source: Web
The current situation in Somalia is worrying. Somalia is experiencing a historic drought rarely seen in 40 years, and due to six consecutive rainy seasons, Somalia has experienced an unprecedented long and severe drought. This has led to large-scale displacement, food insecurity, malnutrition and water scarcity. ² It is estimated that some 1.8 million children in Somalia will be severely malnourished in 2023, including nearly 478,000 at risk of severe malnutrition. At the same time, the number of people receiving food aid increased from an average of 2 million per month from January to March last year to an average of 5.4 million per month from October to December last year. ³
In addition to drought and famine, Somalia faces political and security challenges. The country was scheduled to hold presidential elections on February 8, 2021, but they have been postponed due to disagreements between the parties over the election process. This has led to a political stalemate and an escalation of violent conflict, threatening the stability and development of Somalia. In addition, the extremist organization Al-Shabaab continues to operate in Somalia, carrying out repeated attacks and assassinations, resulting in civilian and security casualties.
In order to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Somalia, the United Nations and other international organizations have been providing assistance and support to the country. However, humanitarian relief still faces enormous challenges due to insufficient funding, security barriers, climate change and other factors. The United Nations calls on the international community to step up its efforts to save lives and support peace and development in Somalia. ¹
Image source: Web
Image source: Web
(1) History of Somalia - Wikipedia. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%B4%A2%E9%A9%AC%E9%87%8C%E5%8E%86%E5%8F%B2.
(2) Somalia - Wikipedia. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%B4%A2%E9%A9%AC%E9%87%8C.
(3) Somalia - Wikipedia. https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/%E7%B4%A2%E9%A9%AC%E9%87%8C.