Prof assesses Somalia's future

Daily Pennsylvanian Staff Writer History Professor Lee Cassanelli spoke to a small group of students and faculty members about the future of war-torn Somalia at a lecture Thursday afternoon in the Smith Penniman Room of Houston Hall. Cassanelli, an expert in the field of East African history, has participated in seminars held by the U.S. State Department on Somalia's ongoing civil war. After handing out a map of Somalia which detailed the regions controlled by various political and tribal factions in the region, Cassanelli gave a brief account of Somalia's recent history. He explained that almost all Somalis share the same language, religion and culture and that this is a "luxury that few modern African countries enjoy." However, Somalia has rarely in its history experienced rule from a strong centralized government, Cassanelli said. When a coup overthrew the dictatorship of General Siyad Barre in 1991, a smooth transition to a new central government did not take place. This opened the door for many rival political groups to fight for control of the nation in a struggle that is still going on, Cassanelli said. Cassanelli said he believes that the U.S. Operation Restore Hope has been a success, although its goals are limited. He said that the delivery of food to impoverished areas has been facilitated by the presence of U.S. troops and that confrontations between rival factions have diminished. But he advised against U.S. efforts to disarm Somali citizens because many of the Somali people own weapons for security reasons. "The belief in the right to bear arms is as strongly rooted in Somalia as it is in our country," Cassanelli said. Cassanelli also said that it is unfortunate that the U.S. troops in Somalia are not training the Somali people to do the work that will be necessary to repair the extensive damage done to the nation's infrastructure. He said that the Somalis must ultimately rebuild the nation and that the U.S. is not preparing them to do so. Cassanelli concluded the discussion by saying he believes the Somali people's distrust of a central government is genuine and warranted. He said he would advise the U.S. to not attach itself to one political faction. Cassanelli said that economic development can only take place if the West assists each region of Somalia at a local level. If aid is given to a central government in Mogadishu, the nation's capital, it would not be distributed properly to the regions that need it the most, according to Cassanelli. The international honor society Phi Beta Delta invited Cassanelli to lead the discussion, according to Margaret Gilligan, the chapter coordinator.