Somalia: A Country Study, 4th ed. (review)

Book Reviews Somalia: A Country Study, 4th ed. Helen Chapin Metz, ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1993. The collapse of Somalia in 1991 catapulted that country into prominence in the U.S. and world media. The distorted coverage, stereotypes, and general misinformation portrayed by the news networks greatly hindered the ability of persons without a background in the region's history to make sense of the situation, and United States propaganda made the task no easier. This volume, on the other hand, effectively untangles the complex historical factors and roles of prominent personalities behind Somalia's failure. Although the book is an official United States government publication, its views are those of the contributing authors. Incorporating data available until mid-1992, the chapters emphasize historical explanation, and only Metz's introduction defends United States intervention, beginning December 1992 and leading to the arrival of United Nations forces in early 1993. Said S. Samatar's first chapter is a vast sweep of Somali history, from the migrations that peopled the eastern Horn to the late 1980s. In relation to the rest of the book, it is most useful for the post-independence period, discussing political groups, political leaders, the nature of and changes in Somali political alliances, and the establishment of Said Barre's personal power. Samatar's second chapter, "The Society and Its Environment," is a standard overview of the physical setting, Somali social structures, religion, education, women's status, health and refugees . David D. Laitin's account of the economy concentrates on the period since independence, especially after 1970. It is the weakest chapter of the book, presumably owing to the paucity of available data, but in-® Northeast African Studies (ISSN 0740-9133) Vol. 2, No. 2 (New Series) 1995, pp. 189-217 189 190 Book Reviews eludes an interesting analysis of the "real" (i.e. informal and unofficial) economy in the 1980s. Eric Hooglund's "Government and Politics" focuses on the governmental structures and political dynamics during Barre's rule. It looks at the different opposition political parties, their power bases and their relations with each other, and concludes with a section on Somalia's foreign relations. The last chapter, "National Security," by Thomas Ofcansky , describes Somalia's internal and external security concerns, and cites a wealth of statistics on the military forces and armaments. It traces the history of the military in Somalia, its impact on social life and the economy, its relationship to the government, and its sources of materiel and training. The chapter ends with a treatment of the various internal security forces, the justice system, and the human rights situation since 1970. There is considerable overlap throughout the book, but rather than annoy the reader this repetition actually ties the chapters together and better explicates different topics, such as the organization and relative strengths of political movements opposed to Siad Barre's regime. The chapters are lucidly written, well rooted in the Somali literature, and complemented by many photographs, but the maps do not locate all the place names mentioned in the text. Overall, this book presents broad historical accounts which collectively explore and explain the varied dynamics behind Somalia's disintegration and the continued chaos and conflict there. Tim Carmichael Michigan State University The Soviet Union in the Horn ofAfrica: The Diplomacy of Intervention and Disengagement Robert G. Patman Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990, Volume 71 in the Soviet and East European Studies Series. 407 pp. + xvii. Any scholar, particularly recent doctoral students, attempting to make sense of our rapidly changing world, must feel a certain sympathy for ...