h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Intervention in Somalia - A3117818
Author: John-the-gardener, h2g2 Friends of Tibet - A2170982 - U33262

Here's something I've been poking about at for some time.

JTG

Good entry John.

Maybe put the date of the intervention in the title?

Maybe also add that over a decade later, Somalia still doesn't have an effective government, although the situation is getting better.

Part of why things went so pear shaped was also military - not enough armoured vehicles, not careful enough with helicopters, the difficulty of operating against insurgents who blend into the local population after an attack. Some of these lessons are still being learnt somewhat east of Somalia...

On the BBC website is an excellent series on living without a government in Somalia, what works and what doesn't. Perhaps link to this?

I absolutely agree with you that the Somalian farce partly led to the Great Lakes genocide.

sprout

Thanks sprout. Good comments all. I'll check out the BBC website.

JTG

Is Aideed's given name really 'Maxamad' like 'Max is Mad' or 'Mad Max'?

What a f***ing coincidence...

Great Entry .

My only concern is words like 'a decade ago', in a few years this will read strangely... What do you think?


HELL

Good point! I'll change such references to actual dates if I can.

Well spotted! That is a bit of a coincidence: Mad Max Aideed!

JTG

Hell's nitpick of the day:

"as far east as an African can go without leaving home."

Is that a widely used figure of speech in English (sorry me no native), but it sounds to me as if all Africans are at home in Africa...

Also, you mean the continent. The Seychelles and Mautitius (I dunno which one is most east) are part of Africa, and both are more east than Somalia - OK trow a at me.

HELL

This entry reads really well and contains a lot of information about one of the most forlorn countries in the world. It's a fascinating entry.

I'm wondering however if there is a bit of polemic in it, and whether it is ok. Sentences such as "Even this disturbing spectacle might not have galvanized very much of the world's concern - the sight of Africans in desperate need, for many of us, having become a staple of our television diet" give me some cause to consider this question.

Overall though I think it is fine - an example of very good writing.

I thought the General's names was "Mohammed Farah Aideed"?

Cheers,

Woodpigeon

Thanks, Woodpigeon. That's probably a valid criticism. My anti-polemic pills are well past their 'use before' date.

Mohammed Farah Aideed is probably a better transliteration of the name, and consistent with the BBC link. I'll change it and add a footnote to the 'Mad Max version'. That's too good a coincidence to waste.

Hey! Dr Hell...

How about '... without getting his (or her) feet wet' then?

JTG

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Triffik!

Thanks to all for the comments and suggestions.

Well done John!

HELL

sprout