Photo Gallery Can Somalia Save Itself?
Mohamed Sahal Gerlach is the Deputy Minister of Trade for Somalia's Transitional Federal Government. He has close ties to the central Somali region of Galmudug, but he lives in Berlin.
He has a dream of bringing jobs to Somalis on the barren central coast by building piers along the beach for dhows and other small cargo ships.
Right now the beaches are used by fishermen -- and in some places pirates -- but Sahal says the locals just want jobs.
For jobs, the region needs infrastructure. "The people would rise up and drive out the pirates" for a chance at a productive life, he says. "All they need is an honest way to make a living."
Other regions of Somalia, like Somaliland, have managed a measure of stability through clan peace and infrastructure-building. The photo shows an official visit to Somaliland by the British military -- an unprecedented event in the 50-odd years since Somali independence.
Regions of Somalia near Mogadishu, south of Galmudug, are especially hard-hit by an ongoing drought and famine. Sahal says it's frustrating to watch. "There is no reason for Somalis to starve."
One problem near Mogadishu is the Islamist group al-Shabab, which has kept foreign emergency aid from reaching the neediest people. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing on Oct. 4 that killed at least 65 people.
