UN diplomats’ ignorance and indirect diplomacy deepened their isolation from Somalis

Evidence

Both sides had mutually incompatible expectations and the international soldiers and civilians were in the main profoundly ignorant of Somali culture and local politics. Although both Sahnoun and Oakley, in their different ways, had some knowledge of local conditions and negotiated directly with leading local figures, their successors relied on indirect contacts through aides and representatives, a style of diplomacy calculated to sow suspicion in the minds of their interlocutors. — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 647 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

The importance of re-empowering traditional community leaders in the country at large was strongly urged on U.N.O.S.O.M. by the Swedish-based ‘Reference Group’ (which the author, at the U.N.’s request, helped to establish at the beginning of the operation). This small international group of social scientists with Somali expertise met from time to time with Muhammad Sahnoun and subsequently other U.N. officials. We tried to emphasize the uncentralized character of the Somali segmentary politcal system. In our view this necessitated a ‘bottom-up’ rather than a top-down, hierarchical approach to understanding the Somali situation. U.N. officials, with their cumbersome, extremely hierarchical system, found this very hard to understand, far less apply. — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 898 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: UN successors abandoned direct diplomacy, deepening mutual mistrust with Somali factions.; International diplomats’ cultural ignorance sabotaged peace negotiations — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 647; The UN’s hierarchical structure prevented it from applying a bottom-up Somali approach — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 898 (+1 more)

Related

• UN successors abandoned direct diplomacy, deepening mutual mistrust with Somali factions. (similarity 0.91)
• International diplomats’ cultural ignorance sabotaged peace negotiations (similarity 0.87)
• Somalis and international forces held mutually incompatible expectations of the intervention (similarity 0.84)
• The UN’s hierarchical structure prevented it from applying a bottom-up Somali approach (similarity 0.83)
• Somalis distrusted the UN Secretary-General as pursuing Egyptian regional interests (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• UN successors abandoned direct diplomacy, deepening mutual mistrust with Somali factions. #corroborates (0.85)
• International diplomats’ cultural ignorance sabotaged peace negotiations #corroborates (0.70) — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 647
• The UN’s hierarchical structure prevented it from applying a bottom-up Somali approach #expands (0.60) — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 898
• The UN reimposed fascist rule on southern Somalia, warning Somalis about Cold War priorities #corroborates (0.55)