Alwan for the Arts and Global Information Network Present

Africa RoundtableSomalia: Is a regional war inevitable? With Said Samatar, Professor of African History, Rutgers University

Wednesday, January 10, 2007, 6:00-8:00 PM

Open and free to the public Refreshments will be served!

Global Information Network 146 West 29th Street Suite 7E New York, NY 10001 www.globalinfo.org 212-244-3123 (voice) 212-244-3522 (fax)

In the last days of December, in a fresh escalation of internal and bilateral tensions, Ethiopian fighter jets bombed Somalia's Mogadishu airport, - a move said to be in defense of Somalia's Federal Transitional Government based in Baidoa. Thousands were reported dead as the Ethiopians routed the Union of Islamic Courts, in a move that had full U.S. support. Martial law has been declared and Ethiopia has announced its intention to remain in the country for at least several weeks.

Experts on the region fear that Somalia's conflagration could set off a fierce proxy war, fueled by the rival interests of other countries, including Eritrea, Kenya, and Djibouti.

Said Sheikh Samatar is a professor of African history at Rutgers University with a specialty in Somalia. He is also executive director of the independent journal “Horn of Africa” and author of numerous books including “Somalia: a Nation in Turmoil."

This Africa Roundtable is a joint project of Alwan for the Arts and Global Information Network, an organization that distributes news and feature articles on Africa and the developing world to mainstream, alternative, ethnic and minority-owned outlets in the U.S. and Canada. Our goal is to increase the perspectives available to readers in North America and to bring into their view information about global issues that are overlooked or under-reported by mainstream media.

Last updated: 2007-09-12 10:17:39