Somalia has been devastated by a US-backed Ethiopian invasion and years of civil war, and it has long been without a central government. Against this background of violence, Somali academic Afyare Abdi Elmi, attempts to explain the multiple dimensions of the conflict and find a peace-building consensus. Somalia is a failed state and a Muslim state. This combination means the West assumes that it will become a breeding ground for extremism. The country regularly hits the headlines as a piracy hotspot. This combination of internal division and outside interference makes for an intensely hostile landscape. Elmi shows that only by addressing the problem of the statelessness in the country can the long process of peace begin. He highlights the various factors involved, including clan identities, Islam and other countries in the region, as the key elements in any peace-building effort. This is a unique account from an author who truly understands Somalia and should be required reading for students and academics of international relations and peace / conflict studies. -- Publisher description

Introduction : conflict and peace in Somalia -- Understanding the sources of Somali conflict -- Clan identity and implications for peacebuilding in Somalia -- Making sense of Islam and Islamic awakening in Somalia -- Understanding the US policy toward Somalia -- The role of regional countries and organizations in the Somali conflict -- Peacebuilding education : contested resource and vehicle for social transformation -- Role for the international community : options and implications -- Conclusion : a way forward.