Global Security, Privacy, & Risk Management

London Conference on Somalia – “Talk, Talk, Talk” February 24, 2012

On February 23, 2012 the London Conference on Somalia was held.  The conference brought together representatives from 40 different nations including US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.  The impetus for the conference was not solely piracy rather the idea that Somalia, as a failed state, may become the Worlds’ largest safe haven for Islamic extremists. As stated: “For two decades politicians in the West have too often dismissed the problems in Somalia as simply too difficult and too remote to deal with,” British Prime Minister David Cameron told the summit. “Engagement has been sporadic and half-hearted. That fatalism has failed Somalia. And it has failed the international community too.”  While the nations came together to talk about the future of Somalia, it seemed to have a familiar ring harkening back to 1991-1994.  “In many ways, I think I was more confident before the summit,” said researcher, and Somali specialist Anyimadu at Chatham House. “All this emphasis on security and talk of airstrikes — there’s a real risk we will simply repeat the mistakes of the past.”