ABSTRACT
Thischapterexaminesrepresentationalandlegitimationcrisesofstate formationsinSomalia,analyzingspecificallyhowsuchcriseshavebeen visceralinpostcolonialAfricanstateformation,andshowinghowattheheart ofthesecrisesliesthenational-popularprojectandselectivestrategyofthe centralizingstatesinapluralistickinshipSomalisociety.Thischapteralso presentshowdifferentcompetingkinshipstrategies(togainaccessto Somalia's'opportunitystate')ledtothecollapseofthestate;exploreshow Somalia'scivilsocietiesmanagetothriveinthemidstofthecontinuingsocial crisesfollowingthecollapseofthestate;andfurtherassessesthegeneral politicaltrendinSomalia.ThepoliticaltrendinSomaliaclearlymarksthe decentralizationofpowerandtheemergenceofcompetingstateformswithin thedomainofcivilsocieties.Finally,itpointsoutthataflexibleapproachis moreimportantinunderstandingtheparticularsofSomalistatecrisesthanthe peremptoryuniversaluseofastatecentristparadigm.
