Years of fighting between rival war lords and an inability to deal with famine and disease have led to the deaths of up to one million people in Somalia. A third of the population is dependent on food aid and the UN backed transitional government is faced with an insurgency in the south. Somalia is widely perceived as the epitome of a failed state. Michael Walls teaches in the Development Planning Unit at University College London and has worked in development projects in a number of African countries including Somaliland. He has been Coordinator of the election observers for the Somaliland Presidential Election and his research has examined Somaliland experiences in post-conflict reconciliation and state building. He maintains active involvement in the Anglo-Somali Society, Somaliland Focus (UK) and Kayd Somali Arts and Culture. He will talk about the current situation in Somalia and the globalisation of the conflict there, suggesting some constructive potentials for international engagement in the Somali context.