Sub-Sahara Africa
Somalia
The jihadist militant group known as Al-Shabaab has recently attacked and taken control of an army base in southern Somalia this past week. During the attack it is reported that Al-Shabaab killed 13 soldiers in the attack. The jihadist terrorist group has had control of many of the southern villages of Somalia since 2010 and have imposed their strict Islamic laws. They often stone people to death, hold public beheadings, and even amputate the arms and legs of those accused of various crimes. I for one can't even imagine living in a society where these are possible consequences for breaking the law, I think it is crucial that these men are taken out of power.If you'd like to read more into the situation here is the link to the article:
http://www.voanews.com/content/al-shabab-overruns-somali-military-base/2969067.html
The photo below shows the current claims on Somalian territory from the different powering groups.
While the country of Somalia is in a constant state of war, women are in a constant fear of rape and abuse. Women have reported to experiencing high levels of sexual abuse not only from other civilians or jihadist militant groups but also from government officials in Somalia's own capital. Liesl Gerntholtz, a women's rights director at Human Rights Watch, states "The Somali government's public commitments have not materialized into better protection for women and support for victims." It seems that sexual violence isn't even fought in Somalia but considered a part of the norm and integrated within their culture.
The UN reported over 800 sexual violence cases in the first six months of 2013 in Mogadishu alone, the capital of Somalia. About a third of these victims are reported to be children under the age of eighteen. This is a troubling number and clearly something that the Federal Government of Somalia needs to address. It seems crazy to me that a countries capital can be so corrupt and violent on this level.
This past week over five hundred women gathered in Mogadishu to protest. They were protesting the increasing number of attacks from Al-Shabaab's militants. The women called out Al-Shabaab claiming that Al-Shabaab is not fighting a religious war for the sake of the country. On the contrary, the women who spoke at the rally are citing Al-Shabaab as the sole reason their country has thousands of casualties and the political turmoil it can't seem to get out of. I think Asha Koos, the speaker at the rally, is accurately placing the blame on Al-Shabaab since I don't believe the Somalian government can truly start to rebuild. They need to get one group into power with the right intentions for the country of Somalia.
Somali women protest Al-Shabaab in Mogadishu
As for the economics of Somalia, they aren't even rated because the lack of a central power controlling their imports, exports and the overall instability of their government. Other unranked countries like Afghanistan and Iraq are all considered repressed places to live. The living standards are among the lowest in the world while the country depends on outside help in order to feed their citizens.The many different militias and governmental groups claim territory throughout Somalia with their own laws each enforce. Somalia's industrial capabilities are very minimal. The country can produce textiles from their factories and refine petroleum. Their exports include livestock, charcoal, and fish.
If you'd like to see the countries rankings and ratings follow the link below.
Above is a simple graph showing Somalia's GDP over the past 40 years.
Sources:
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