Wars with neighbouring countries – Ethiopia in particular – have persisted, causing serious internal issues, especially since the fall of dictator Siad Barre in 1991. Four causes explain this chronic instability: the incapacity to create a strong state, the battle for resources, the rise of radical Islam, and the high frequency of external interventions.

Article published in Politique étrangère, Vol. 80, No. 3, Autumn 2015