I'm tired of people using the word "impasse" to describe Somalia's current political situation. Its true that things look bad in some parts of the country, but there is a lot more nuance than is often reported about. The TFG, for example, has effective ministeries, such as the ministry of finance, as well as the ineffective and corrupt ministries. There are also regional governments such as Somaliland, Puntland and Galmudug that are making progress on providing services to their populations.
Impasse suggests an impossibility of getting beyond the problem. This is not the mindset to approach any problem with, but unfortunately, many people who work on Somalia- especially non-Somalis- tend to view the problem through such a pessimistic lens. That has to change or it could lead to reinforcement of the problem, not to mention the "Nairobi Mafia" and those who benefit from the perpetuation of Somalia's problems.
Impasse suggests an impossibility of getting beyond the problem. This is not the mindset to approach any problem with, but unfortunately, many people who work on Somalia- especially non-Somalis- tend to view the problem through such a pessimistic lens. That has to change or it could lead to reinforcement of the problem, not to mention the "Nairobi Mafia" and those who benefit from the perpetuation of Somalia's problems.
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