ABSTRACT

Somalia is one of Africa's poorest countries, yet it has chosen for much of its existence to sacrifice economic progress for the ideal of Somali self-determination and to try to extend the Somali Republic to unite all Somali speakers in the true spirit of irredentism. Somali irredentism, and its total rejection by the neighbouring states containing Somali minorities, has been an intractable problem since Somalia's independence. When, between bouts of irredentism, Somalia has turned in on itself, warfare between the Somali clans has been even more bitter and every bit as destructive, as warlords with well-equipped private armies have fought each other for political supremacy. Late in 1967 Prime Minister Egal's new Somali government recognized the impoverishing effect and apparent futility of pursuing irredentism and attempted to negotiate a settlement with Kenya and Ethiopia. Beyond Somalia itself the basic problem of Somali irredentism remains unsolved.