The narratives are not entirely at odds, as a part of the moderate success of Somaliland’s emerging democratic governance may have to do with a set of institutional rules that guarantee a complex power balance between clans within the representative governance. I more plausible provocative thesis about Somaliland (suggested by Kaplan) is that the lack of international aid and assistance in establishing democratic institutions in Somaliland may have actually been valuable, as establishing a system that grafts clan balance of power into democratic governance formally might have been discouraged. And, of course, that choice could certainly cause problems for Somaliland governance down the road–from what I understand, it is part of the reason for the current ongoing delay in holding the next presidential election, although that election is apparently back on track for June.

Of course. Because it’s utterly impossible for money obtained through criminal activities to be deposited in a legitimate bank or invested in a legitimate business.

your statement, not mine. nothing’s impossible. that said, how many functioning banks are there in somalia? take your time. how many pepsi distribution companies (as an example) are there in somalia? again, take your time.

call me back when the synapses start functioning.

Of course. Because it’s utterly impossible for money obtained through criminal activities to be deposited in a legitimate bank or invested in a legitimate business.

Have you recently arrived on our planet, O Traveller? Do you need assistance with our language? A parking spot for your space capsule?

Indeed, glad you said it. Observers the world over were wondering why the hell, in late 2006, the US wanted to go so far as to “pick” another war through its Ethiopian surrogate and a few of its own flying gunships. The Islamic Courts opened the Mogadishu hospitals, the airport and the harbors and kicked out the warlords, who flooded back in with the US-inspired invasion.

And what happens to their economy once they don’t have ransom money coming in?

since all those ransom monies are criminal, they can’t be deposited in a legitimate bank, or invested directly in any other legitimate business activity. they basically must be spent quickly, or sent abroad, in the hopes they can someday be recovered.

i have to wonder what non-criminal enterprise will accept those tainted funds, knowing there’s a high likelihood they’ll end up forfeit to the state, with criminal charges for the management?

In the comments from the original article, the author claims that the study he is working from deals extensively with Somaliland and Puntland, finding that there is governance, but not government, which is more an outgrowth of the clan/traditional law system than anything else. I don’t know if he’s right, and I don’t really know a whole lot about Somaliland, except that most of what people will tell you about it is tied up in other regional political biases vis-a-vis Ethiopia.

Someone else in those comments pointed out that most of the really ugly stuff in Somalia is perpetrated on minority ethnicities/clans who are excluded from the traditional law system. Not like it was much better before the collapse of the state though.