Following more than two decades of armed conflict, Somalia is beginning to get back on its feet.

After over two decades of bloody conflict, Somalia is gradually, but steadily rising from the ruins. Having lived years of a pariah State status, Somalia today boasts a government with more international acceptability than at any other time since the demise of the Siad Barre regime in 1991.

In order to build on these gains, the Somalia Conference - the third in recent years – held at Lancaster House, London, England on May 7, 2013, with British and Somali leaders playing host to 55 friends and partners of the Horn of Africa country. Partners pledged money and committed to assist the country rebuild.

Democracy Is Back!

Since 1991, Somalia has been without an effective government and thus adrift in a sea of conflict and chaos. But on August 1, 2012, a National Constituent Assembly comprising 825 Somali leaders approved a new constitution based on a roadmap for establishing permanent government. Under the watchful eyes of African Union troops, the new MPs later elected Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as the new President, alongside other officials.

International Recognition

Somalia’s eight-year transition ended in 2012 with the election of a new, more legitimate Parliament, President and Government. Today, the Federal Government of Somalia under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud enjoys more international recognition than any other in the last 20 years. Also, high-ranking foreign diplomats have started visiting the country again, with nine countries – Iran, Libya, Sudan, Turkey, Djibouti, Ethiopia, the United Kingdom and Yemen - maintaining diplomatic missions in the capital, Mogadishu. Egypt, Italy and the United Arab Emirates are scheduled to reopen their own embassies in the near future.

African Union Peacekeepers

What perhaps accounts most for the return of some level of peace and security to Somalia in recent years is the key support of African Union, AMISOM peacekeepers. Many towns and trade routes have been recovered from Al Shabab militants. Similarly, the number of pirate attacks in 2012 dropped to 70, as against 233 in 2011.

Growing Economy, Facelift

Mogadishu, once infamous as the shattered capital of the failed State of Somalia, is today making a comeback. Business at the Bakara Market - the city’s main commercial district - is once more booming. On nearby streets, vehicles compete with donkey carts laden with goods. The Diaspora has also begun to return, the economy is starting to revive and famine has receded. Along with the return of street life, war-torn Mogadishu is getting a face-lift as new hospitals, schools and other infrastructure projects herald the dawn of a new era for the economy.

Sustaining Peace

However, the greatest challenge for the new government is ending violence and lawlessness, and quickly addressing the root causes of the conflict - competition for scarce resources, easy availability of cheap weapons and a large population of unemployed youth.