Somalia: The Tough Part Is Ahead

There is now a political vacuum across much of southern Somalia, which the ineffectual Transitional Federal Government (TFG) is unable to fill, reports the International Crisis Group. Elements of the Courts, including Shabaab militants and their al-Qaeda associates, are largely intact and threaten guerrilla war. Peace requires the TFG to be reconstituted as a genuine government of national unity but the signs of its willingness are discouraging. Sustained international pressure is needed.