Global Insider: Somalia’s ‘New Deal’ Must Aim to Reduce Foreign Aid Dependence

Global Insider: Somalia’s ‘New Deal’ Must Aim to Reduce Foreign Aid Dependence

On Sept. 16, 2013, European and African nations reached an agreement called the New Deal Compact, pledging $2.7 billion to help Somalia build peace and consolidate its government. In an email interview, Aisha Ahmad, an assistant professor of international relations and comparative politics at the University of Toronto who also serves as chief operating officer of the Hawa Abdi Foundation, a nongovernmental relief organization in Somalia, explained the New Deal and the requirements for its success.

WPR: What is new in the New Deal for Somalia?

Aisha Ahmad: Representatives from across the European Union and Africa signed the New Deal Compact, pledging $2.7 billion to support the new Somali Federal Government (SFG) in recovering from 23 years of chronic civil war. While some have argued that far more pledges are needed for success, others contend that foreign funds are guaranteed to further weaken Somalia by fostering economic dependency and feeding into deeply entrenched corruption networks.

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