External Interventions in Somalia’s Civil War. Security Promotion and National Interests?

The present study examines external intervention in Somalia's civil war. The focus is on Ethiopia's, Kenya's and Uganda's military engagement in Somalia. The study also analyses the political and military interests of the intervening parties and how their respective interventions might affect each country's security posture and outlook. The aim of the study is to contribute to a more refined understanding of Somalia's conflict and its implications for the security landscape in the Horn of Africa. The study contains both theoretical chapters and three empirically grounded cases studies. The main finding of the report is that Somalia's neighbours are gradually entering into a more tense political relationship with the government of Somalia. This development is characterized by a tension between Somalia's quest for sovereignty and neighbouring states' visions of a decentralized Somali state-system capable of maintaining security across the country.