Somalia: Bickering Leaders a “Pain in the Neck” at Peace Talks

A third and final round of peace talks for East Africa’s most beleaguered country - Somalia - is scheduled to begin on May 20 amidst funding shortfalls and frustration at the antics of faction leaders. The talks, to be held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, are taking place under the auspices of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a five-member regional organisation. Somalia is currently the only country in the world without a central government, having been ruled by faction leaders since January 1991 when dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was toppled.