The state collapse of Somalia was a result of clanistic factions as well as corrupt leadership.  After being granted independence from colonial powers in 1960, Somalia set up a democratic system of government.  Elected leaders, though, were tied to clan interests.  With Somalia’s leaders looking out only for the good of their own clan, the Somali government quickly became ineffective at dealing with the needs of Somalia as a whole.  In addition, corruption by the Prime Minister and other high-ranking officials led to Somalia becoming virtually a one-party state.
     When President Abdirishiid Ali Shermaarke was assassinated in 1969, a military coup led by General Siad Barre took control of the country, attempting to make the government more effective.  Barre, though, soon became a socialist dictator unconcerned with the needs of the Somali people.  He wanted only to keep the power for himself and his clan.  Twenty-one years after taking power, Barre fled the Somali capital of Mogadishu in fear for his life.  With no government structure in place, Somalia fell into a state of anarchy.
     Muhammad Ali Madhi of the USC was set to take control of the country and restore democracy when Muhammad Farah Aideed, the leader of a rival faction in the USC, declared himself as the president.  Fighting between the two sides, and between other clans broke out, leading to mass starvation.  International Humanitarian and Peace efforts over the next three years failed miserably as the fighting continued.  To this very day, a solution for the conflict has not been implemented as the hostilities and death by starvation continue.
     The civil war showed the rest of the world that the people living in Somalia saw themselves first as members of their respective clan, and second as Somalis.  Therefore, when conflict broke out, Somalia was no longer unified, but a country split among its several clans.  The state collapse of Somalia is a prime example of what happens when there is more loyalty to clan than country.
     In addition, corrupt Somali leadership contributed to state collapse by ignoring the needs of the people and seeking only personal gain.  This angered the Somali people, who formed groups to overthrow the corrupt government.  The corrupt leadership’s lack of government structure left no one to take the reins of power once the regime collapsed.  This left the country in a state of anarchy, as clan groups fought for the vacated seat of power.  Somalia is a lucid illustration of how corrupt leadership leads to state collapse.