A penetrating as well as absorbing analysis of the processes, problems, and prospects for peace in Somalia. I enjoyed the masterful description of the innovative Arta peace conference that was led by President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti and the way he used " the captive arena of the United Nations General Assembly to successfully re-awaken the interests of Somalis and the international community...". Let us continue our efforts towards realizing the "dream of a stable, prosperous and united Somalia" ... beyond Al Shabaab. -Mohamed Siad Douale, Djibouti's Ambassador to the US and Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
This book is terrific - a serious history of Somali reconciliation attempts has long been needed, and you clearly are the one who could do it - and have.- Lange Schermerhorn, US Ambassador to Djibouti, 1997-2000
Somalia Just Before Al-Shabaab: Why Peace Was Elusive is a book that chronicles the most painful period of Somalia's civil war following the collapse of the State.
The author, Babafemi Badejo, presents a comprehensive account of the peacebuilding and state building efforts in post-conflict Somalia. As someone who witnessed these events close up, his descriptions are perceptive, penetrating, and his exportations empathetic and insightful. It is a must-read for practitioners of conflict resolution and peace building as well as political leaders of post conflict societies like Somalia. -Ahmed Isse Awad, Somalia Ambassador to the US (2015-2018) & Foreign Minister (2018-2020)
