Sovereignty as a Commodity
The receipts speak for themselves: FIRST INSTANCE: Leveraging 'Stability' for Access The precedent for external military intervention in Somalia, often under banners of peacekeeping or counter-terrorism, traces back decades. In the early 1990s, the US-led Operation Restore Hope (1992-1993) officially aimed to alleviate famine but was widely seen as an attempt to assert influence in a post-Cold War
power vacuum. The outcome was a withdrawal and a prolonged period of instability, demonstrating that external forces often exacerbate, rather than resolve, local conflicts. REPETITIONS: The African Union as a Fig Leaf Fast forward to 2007, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was established. While ostensibly African-led, AMISOM's mandate and logistics were heavily dependent on external
funding and strategic direction. Ethiopia, a key regional player, has repeatedly intervened in Somalia, notably in 2006, claiming to combat Islamist extremism but also to secure its regional interests, particularly its access to ports, having been landlocked since Eritrea's independence in 1993. The pattern is clear: 'security assistance' from regional powers often aligns neatly with their own
geopolitical and economic imperatives. OUTCOMES: Protracted Instability and Resource Exploitation Each wave of intervention, whether from the US, Ethiopia, or other regional actors, has rarely led to enduring stability. Instead, it has often empowered specific factions, prolonged internal conflicts, and opened doors for resource exploitation. Somalia's extensive coastline and potential offshore