The UN and the Shabab party hard. Just not together.

Today the top UN envoy to Somalia praised the government as being "strong" and "united" in recognition of it's one-year anniversary. (Please hold your snickers and eye-rolling). The always festive Shabab* jumped on the party bus and decided to celebrate by banning UN food aid (and here). Pretty tacky timing. 

The UN as always, is right on the money by congratulating a government which has presided ( I use that word loosely as the government can be described as "ineffectual") over a country which has been called the "Worlds worst humanitarian crisis" and "The Most Failed State**". So I'm not sure congrats are in order here. Perhaps a subdued floral arrangement. For more on Somalia check out the BBC's country profile and Human Rights Watch's World Report on the country. 

The UN's World Food Program responded by saying that they will continue to provide aid to Somalia "however possible". Whatever that means.


Food aid in Somalia has been a hot topic for a while now. Recently the US set restrictions on aid  to Somalia resulting in less than 2/3 of promised aid being delivered. Somehow they got the notion (some would say they "realized") that American donations were being partially funneled to the Shabab. Not surprising considering how many people live in Shabab-controlled territories. Also, In January the UN World Food Program suspended food deliveries to parts of Somalia after the Shabab continued to make demands including a "security fee" and the dismissal of female staff members.

Looks like the Shabab crashed the UN's party again today. Perhaps in the future both sides should consider employing new methods of communication to keep each other in the loop. Twitter might work. 

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*The main insurgency group in Somalia since 2006. Al Shabab or Harakat Al-shabab Mujahdeen is a sharia-seeking organization of fighters who control much of Somalia, are affiliated with Al Qaeda and have generally helped push the country on it's current path of havoc and no meaningful central-government since 1991. They are often referred to as the Somali Taliban thanks to their hard-core shenanigans which include cutting off the hands of thieves, forcibly removing gold fillings from peoples teeth and the now infamous stoning of a 13-year old rape survivor who was accused of adultery. 

**The New Yorker wrote a great piece on Somalia and the president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed from December of 2009, called (not surprisingly ) "The Most Failed State". Here's the link if you have a subscription or access.