The selection of Sheikh Sharif as Somalia’s president and the appointment of Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke as prime minister has brought an end to speculation about the holders of Somalia’s top government jobs. The line up is now clear, and is made up of two moderate sheikhs (Sheikh Sharif as president, Sheikh Adan Madoobe as speaker of parliament) and a western educated prime minister. All of this, plus Sheikh Sharif’s numerous conciliatory announcements may give some, particularly the international community, a sense of optimism about Somalia’s future. But there is one big problem: Somalia’s government has little power inside Somalia itself. The truth is that within Somalia proper, extremist Islamic groups such as al-Shabab control much more territory and exercise greater power than Sheikh Sharif & Company. So after the ceremonies and the partying is over in Djibouti, Somalia’s government will face the same question that dogged all of Somalia’s previous foreign concocted governments, namely, how to translate foreign backing into domestic support. All indications are that the present government is not anywhere close to solving that problem. Which means that after almost two decades of various governments being cobbled together for Somalia, in foreign capitals, Somalia is still without a functioning government. This raises the uncomfortable question whether forming a government for Somalia is an exercise in futility?
 

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