Good article.
Its not fair for professor Michael A. Weinstein, who is a highly respected scholar in Somali affairs to say that not much has changed. Considering the lightning progress that Somalia has made in these couple of years with the support of Uganda and Burundi.
The government of Somalia is no longer transitional but permanent, that alone has changed the whole game
Its very important to point out that international NGO's who are almost all based in Nairobi are deeply unpopular in the eyes of the Somali people. To have these deeply unpopular organisations attempt to push aside the role of Somalia's government and have their staff (mostly Kenyans) make critical decisions for Somalia will NEVER be accepted by the people of Somalia nor the government
The UN can do what it please with the money that it has pocketed in the name of Somalia but it cannot expect the government of Somalia to allow foreign NGO's to run the affairs of the Somali people, that is simply unacceptable and rings bells of colonialism
Donor nations should bear in mind that the UN and all of these international NGO's are based in Nairobi, which are mainly staffed by Kenyan nationals, many who were ex-kenyan government officials.
Donor countries should also take note that Narobi has been behaving very hostile to the stability and progress of Somalia, where Nairobi has even went as far as to claim vast areas of Somali territorial water.
It certainly is true that the government is strapped of cash but it is a wonderful challenge for the government of Somalia and her people to resolve this issue by collecting taxes and building partnerships with other nations who are interested in assisting the people of Somalia
Again, i must thank professor Michael A. Weinstein for this well written article that gives the Somali people a birds eye's view that our government and nation faces