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Somalia, from 1991-2006, is cited by some as a real-world example of a stateless society and legal system. From the fall of Siad Barre's government in January of 1991 until the capture of Mogadishu by the Islamic Courts Union in June of 2006, Somalia had no significant centralized government, with large areas of the country ruled by such unrecognized mini-states as Somaliland, Puntland, and Southwestern Somalia. The remaining areas, including the capital Mogadishu, were divided into smaller territories ruled by competing warlords. In many areas there were and still are no formal regulations or licensing requirements for businesses and individuals. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Shortcut: WP:NPOV Wikipedia policy is that all articles should be written from a neutral point of view. ... Mohamed Siad Barre (Somali: Maxamed Siyaad Barre) (1919 – January 2, 1995) was the Head of State of Somalia from 1969 to 1991. ... Combatants Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism Militia loyal to the Islamic Court Union Commanders Mohamed Qanyare, Muse Sudi, Nuur Daqle Sheikh Sharif Ahmed Strength unknown unknown Casualties unknown unknown The Second Battle of Mogadishu was a battle fought for control of Mogadishu, the capital city of... Motto: none Anthem: none Capital formerly Mogadishu and Kismayu Largest city n/a Official languages Somali and Arabic Government Sharia Krytocracy  - Executive Chairman Sharif Sheikh Ahmed  - Shura Chairman Hassan Dahir Aweys Civil War Faction Has not declared autonomy or independence   - Established June 6th 2006 in Mogadishu  Area  - Total not finalized... Motto: لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله  (Arabic) Lā ilāhā illā-llāhu; muhammadun rasÅ«lu-llāhi  (transliteration) There is no God but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah And also : Justice, Peace, Freedom, Democracy and Success for All Anthem: Saamo ku waar Capital Hargeisa (1941-1960, 1991 - present) Official languages Somali, Arabic... Motto: None Anthem(s): Puntland Somalian National Anthem Capital Garowe Largest city Bosaso Official language(s) Somali and Arabic Government  - President Mohamud Muse Hersi  - Vice-President Hasan Dahir Independence From Somalia   - Declared 1998   - Recognition none  Area  - Total ~250,000 km² (not ranked) n/a sq mi   - Water (%) Negl. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Mogadishu (Somali: Muqdisho, popularly Xamar; Arabic: ‎ ; Italian: ), is the largest city in Somalia, and its nominal capital. ... Warlords may refer to: The plural of Warlord, a name for a figure who has military authority but not legal authority over a subnational region. ...

Context

Somalia, already one of the poorest countries in the world, has become even poorer as a result of civil war.^{[citation needed]} However, some gains were made; according to the CIA Factbook during the early 2000's, "despite the seeming anarchy, Somalia's service sector has managed to survive and grow. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to the newest electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to operate, and militias provide security." However, Somalia at the time had one of the highest child mortality rates in the world with 10% of children dying at birth and 25% of those surviving birth dying before age five. The World Factbook is an annual publication by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with basic almanac-style information about the various countries of the world. ...

The international aid group, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) stated that the level of daily violence during its anarchic period was "catastrophic." A statistic from 2000 indicated that only 21% of the population had access to safe drinking water at that time. Additionally, "adult literacy is estimated to have declined from the already low level of 24% in 1989 to 17.1% in 2001."(WB study). A more recent 2003 study reported that the literacy rate was 19% (WB study). Some believe the impact on human development in Somalia of governmental collapse and ensuing civil war was profound, pointing to the break down of political institutions, the destruction of social and economic infrastructure and massive internal and external migrations.^[1] Médecins Sans Frontières (abbreviated MSF; known as Doctors Without Borders in the United States, as Médicos Sin Fronteras in the Spanish language and as Médicos Sem Fronteiras in Portuguese language) is a nonprofit private organisation created in 1971 by a small group of French doctors led...

Others though point to evidence of areas where the private sector adapted to the situation. A 2004 World Bank study of the Somalian economy concluded that "it may be easier than is commonly thought for basic systems of finance and some infrastructure services to function where government is extremely weak or absent."^[2] Journalist Kevin Sites, after a trip to anarchic Somalia, reported: "Somalia, though brutally poor, is a kind of libertarian's dream. Free enterprise flourishes, and vigorous commercial competition is the only form of regulation. Somalia has some of the best telecommunications in Africa, with a handful of companies ready to wire home or office and provide crystal-clear service, including international long distance, for about $10 a month." Abdullahi Mohammed Hussein of Telecom Somalia stated that "the government post and telecoms company used to have a monopoly but after the regime was toppled, we were free to set up our own business." (according to a BBC report). Logo of the World Bank The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, in Romance languages: BIRD), better known as the World Bank, is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by WWII. Now, its mission has expanded to fight poverty by means...

However, the World Bank reports only about 1.5% of the population has a telephone. One of the poorest countries in the world in 1991, Somalia remains a very poor country, yet wealth distribution appears to be more uniform than in other African countries. When extreme poverty (percentage of individuals living on less than PPP$1 a day) was last measured in 1998, Somalia fared better than wealthier West African and neighboring countries.^[2]

An essential element of anarcho-capitalist theory is that private businesses (rather than tax-funded institutions), should protect individual liberty and property. Some claim that 1991-2006 Somalia was severely lacking in such options and therefore that it fell short of being a true example of an anarcho-capitalist environment. Though some urban areas such as Mogadishu had private police forces,^[3] crime was higher in other areas according to some news reports.^[4] Anarcho-capitalism refers to an anti-statist philosophy that embraces capitalism as one of its foundational principles. ...

Much of the legal system, and most of the educational institutions and social services, fell under the control of religious institutions, which often received significant funding and support from international Islamic charities. In 2005, these clerical organizations united to form the Islamic Courts Union, after the secular warlords began to challenge the sharia based judicial institutions. In June 2006, after the Second Battle of Mogadishu, the ICU gained control of Mogadishu and its surrounding districts. The ICU was later overthrown by the Ethiopian military with the support of the United Nations, African Union, and the United States government. After the ICU forces were chased from Mogadishu, the leaders of the Transitional Federal Parliament entered Somalia declaring themselves the rightful governors of Somalia. As of late February 2007, there was still widespread opposition within Somalia to the new government, and the government's leaders and their allies were still attempting to suppress a strong insurgency. Motto: none Anthem: none Capital formerly Mogadishu and Kismayu Largest city n/a Official languages Somali and Arabic Government Sharia Krytocracy  - Executive Chairman Sharif Sheikh Ahmed  - Shura Chairman Hassan Dahir Aweys Civil War Faction Has not declared autonomy or independence   - Established June 6th 2006 in Mogadishu  Area  - Total not finalized... Combatants Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism Militia loyal to the Islamic Court Union Commanders Mohamed Qanyare, Muse Sudi, Nuur Daqle Sheikh Sharif Ahmed Strength unknown unknown Casualties unknown unknown The Second Battle of Mogadishu was a battle fought for control of Mogadishu, the capital city of... Combatants Islamic Courts Union Pro-Islamist militias Alleged:  Eritrea Foreign Mujahideen Transitional Government of Somalia  Ethiopia Puntland Galmudug Alleged:  Uganda[1] Maritime Patrol: United States [2][3] Commanders Hassan Aweys Sharif Ahmed Hasan Hersi Adan Ayrow Barre Adan Shire Hirale Abdi Qeybdid Adde Musa (Puntland) Meles Zenawi Strength 10,000... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... Anthem: Let Us All Unite and Celebrate Together Capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Membership 53 member states Official languages The languages of Africa, as well as Arabic, English, French, and Portuguese Formation - As Organisation of African Unity - As AU - May 25, 1963 - July 9, 2002 Chairman of the African Union John... Combatants Islamic Courts Union Pro-Islamist Militias Foreign fighters Transitional Federal Government Ethiopia[1][2] The Fall of Mogadishu began on December 27, 2006, when the militaries of Somalias United Nations-approved Transitional Federal Government and Ethiopia surrounded the Somalian capital of Mogadishu after a swift string of TFG... The Transitional Federal Parliament is the parliament of Somalia. ... An insurgency, or insurrection, is an armed uprising, or revolt against an established civil or political authority. ...

See also

• Anarcho-capitalism

Anarcho-capitalism refers to an anti-statist philosophy that embraces capitalism as one of its foundational principles. ...

External links

• Anarchy and Invention: How Does Somalia's Private Sector Cope Without Government? Something resembling rudimentary anarcho-capitalism is developing organically in Somalia

Notes

1. ^ World Bank Advisory Committee for Somalia Country Re-Engagement Note (pdf) (2003), retrieved 4 November 2005
2. ^ ^{a b} Nenova, Tatiana and Harford, Tim (2004) Anarchy and Invention (PDF) Public Policy Journal Note Number 280, Retrieved 12 August 2005
3. ^ Return to Somalia
4. ^ Ayn Rand Comes to Somalia