The Political Economy of the Guardian

2021 ◽  
pp. 19-40
Author(s):  
Aaron Ackerley
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
The Political ◽  
The Guardian

The Political Economy of Military Rule in Somalia

1976 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
David D. Laitin
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
The Political ◽  
Parliamentary Democracy ◽  
Military Rule ◽  
The Guardian

On 21 October 1969 the duly elected civilian Government of Somalia was overthrown by the armed forces. General Maxamed Siyad Barre took the helm of the Supreme Revolutionary Council, which proclaimed itself the ‘guardian and saviour of the nation’. The coup has been seen by some as the breakdown of a true democracy, and by others as the foundation of a ‘socialist progressive society’. The egalitarian Somalis have now experienced both a parliamentary democracy and a military oligarchy. Under which have they fared better? Now that President Siyad and the S.R.C. have been ruling Somalia for seven years, perhaps a sober assessment of their performance, in contrast to that of the civilian régime, is in order.

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