US 'Aid' Returns to Somalia After WFP Dispute
📰 THE STORY: The U.S. has announced it is lifting a two-month suspension of food aid to Somalia, following what it describes as the resolution of issues with the World Food Programme's distribution. Somali authorities have reportedly 'taken responsibility' for disruptions, clearing the way for the aid to resume. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The US has a long history of
destabilizing Somalia, often under the guise of aid or counter-terrorism. In the early 1990s, the US-led intervention (Operation Restore Hope) ostensibly for humanitarian reasons, devolved into armed conflict, culminating in the 1993 'Black Hawk Down' incident. More recently, US drone strikes and military interventions have continued, fueling instability and extremist groups while creating
humanitarian crises that 'aid' then steps in to address. The 1991 collapse of the Barre regime, partly due to US withdrawal of support, plunged Somalia into civil war – a vacuum often filled by external players. Double Standard: When governments aligned with US interests face aid 'disruptions' or corruption, the response is often muted or framed as an internal issue to be handled by friendly
regimes. However, when 'disruptions' occur in nations seen as less compliant, aid becomes a punitive tool, dangled and withdrawn to exert control. This 'aid-as-leverage' strategy is rarely described as interference, unlike similar actions by non-Western powers would be. Consider how US aid to countries like Egypt ($1.3 billion/year) maintains an autocratic regime that keeps the Rafah crossing to