Somalia: Let’s just forget the past?

My latest article on Pambazuka, concerned with the role of the past as well as reconciliation in Somalia. The article took inspiration from a conference which I have attended.

Il mio articolo più recente pubblicato su Pambazuka. L'articolo si occupa del ruolo che le dolorose vicende del passato somalo occupano nel dibattito corrente, prendendo ispirazione da una conferenza tenuta da un diplomatico del governo somalo.

Abstract:

It will be impossible to reconstruct Somalia without addressing its complex past. Yet the current definition of transitional justice appears too narrow to be beneficial, since it limits the space for local-based procedures in favour of Western concepts like the state, rule of law and democracy.

LINK:

ENG -> here

Pubblicazione saggio "Tendenze islamiste in Somalia fino ad Al Shabaab" su Politica Africana n.1

Il mio saggio, che ricostruisce la storia dei gruppi islamisti sul territorio somalo, è stato pubblicato sul primo numero della rivista Politica Africana, edito dall'Institute for Global Studies. Di seguito, l'indice ed il link del primo interessantissimo numero:

POLITICA AFRICANA N. 1 - Gennaio - Aprile 2014

Editoriale,
di Nicola Pedde e Marco Massoni

La crisi politico-istituzionale del Mali nel contesto di instabilità africana,
di Aldo Pigoli

Tendenze islamiste in Somalia fino ad Al Shabaab,
di Marco Zoppi

La crisi politica somala e le sue ripercussioni sulla sicurezza nazionale e regionale,
di Nicola Pedde

Repubblica Centroafricana: la prima guerra economica contro la Cina in Africa,
di Marco Massoni

La geopolitica dei confini nelle periferie della Repubblica Federale d'Etiopia,
di Luca Puddu

Regione dei Grandi Laghi: RDC, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda e Tanzania,
di Davide Maggiore

Mitigare il radicalismo islamico nella Nigeria settentrionale,
di Michael Olufemi Sodipo

Le vere ragioni della crisi in Sud Sudan,
di Mehari Taddele Maru

Intervista a Mulugeta Alemseged Gessese, Ambasciatore d'Etiopia in Italia

Intervista a Massimo Alberizzi, corrispondente dall'Africa del Corriere della Sera

LINK -> qui

Migration and Africa: On the urgent need to think beyond the nation-state

My latest publication on Pambazuka!

Abstract:

European powers imposed the nation-state on Africa through colonialism. But even after African independencies, mainstream discourses and government policies have amplified the idea that sedentariness and the state are the only acceptable mode of modernity. Migration is portrayed as a menace to the societies where the migrants wish to settle

LINK:

ENG -> here
POR -> aqui
FRA -> ici

EU AND AFRICAN MIGRANTS: WHY THINGS ARE GETTING WORSE (FOR MIGRANTS)

Here you will find the link to my article which has been recently published on Wardheernews.com
In the essay, I argue that reaching Europe through the sea crossing to Lampedusa is getting more and more dangerous, both for the increasing patrol activities of European Union's FRONTEX and for the specific patterns of action of criminal organisations trafficking human beings between Africa and Europe.

Follow the link for the full text and please provide a feedback.


link -> here

PARTICIPATION TO AMEC'S CONFERENCE, PRETORIA.

I have recently participated to a very interesting conference organised by the Afro-Middle East Centre in Pretoria, South Africa (5-6 November 2013). The conference was titled "In whose interests? Exploring Middle East Involvement in Africa"

The theme of the conference was the political-economical involvement of Middle East in Africa in a broad sense. A very fresh topic since much of what has been dealt with during the conference are on-going phenomena. My contribution focused on Saudi Arabia's agenda: however, I have decided to focus on those which I have called side effects, to show that cooperation has also its dark, unpredictable aspects that we have to take into account. In my provisional paper, I have thus analysed the link existing between Saudi involvement and the rise of Islamism in Somalia and Mali.

Have a look to my paper: "Exploiting the religious link: Saudi Agenda in Africa and its impact in Somalia and Mali", if you like, here: