Hi Stan, JMA, David, Motorfirebox and Dayuhan,

I have a question for you Stan: what would be an African solution? As far as I know, somalis will not stop if you give them $, at contrary.
My experience in South Somalia tells me that part of the problem is the aid dependency problematic somali have been abble to turn round. As exemple, they were not maintaining infrastructures so they were making sure that international aid would keep coming. And they play that game on all sides: european, US, Arab league, Muslim charity...

I personnaly believe that only a strong and total economical blockus over somalia would work. They tend to reject any decision, even from their own politicians. So why don't we drop the support to so called somali government and parliament, have an agressive sea blocus (no ship in or out the miles out of the coast), no fly zone, full land border closing (monitored by international forces), no direct aid, only droping (Since the time, they have competent people for everything there, including health) and let them be as they want it?

We close hermetically the box for several years (Many over paid UN staff will loose their job but who really cares), send back all the politician home instate of having a so called somali parliament in Nairobi, sit and watch.
I'am pretty sure they would first protest and them once they get their ass kicked 2 or 3 times trying to force the blocus, would them start to thing about it in a constructive way. Look at Somaliland. They've been able to come with something which is not ideal but with whom you can actually deal with.

I'm saying so because it's a shared feeling among many people working on Somalia I know. Already too many books have been written on the fact that supporting somalia is creatting more problems than brings solution.
A cost comparaison has to be run but i'm not sure that it would be more expensive than keep on funding politician, fake government and aid.
BUt I might be a little too radical.