For the last two decades Somalia has been the scene of endless violence ; stabilizing the country seems to be beyond the capabilities both of local leaders and the international community. Some causes are internal – either deeply rooted in the country’s history, and its socioeconomic structure, or the consequences of globalization. Yet internal difficulties are now so closely linked with foreign intervention – at times extremely ill-advised – that it is tricky to find a way out of the Somali crisis and to build and implement more appropriate strategies.