This short country report, a result oflarger Information for Development Program (infoDev) -supported survey of the Information and CommunicationTechnologies (ICT) in education in Africa, provides ageneral overview of current activities and issues related toICT use in education in the country. Somalia gained itsindependence in 1960, and 10 years later the country wasplagued by a civil war that lasted for 21 years. By 1991,this war had ceased, but the education system haddisintegrated beyond repair. Sporadic fighting amongwarlords guarding territorial interest continued until 2004when the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was installedto normalize the administration and bring back law andorder. The country is still facing political challenges. InJune 2006, a loose coalition of clerics, business leaders,and Islamic court militias, known as the Supreme Council ofIslamic Courts (SCIC), defeated powerful Mogadishu warlordsand took control of the capital. The courts continued toexpand, spreading their influence throughout much ofsouthern Somalia and threatening to overthrow the TFG. Theeducation sector is greatly affected by this politicalinstability which has resulted in the displacement ofpeople, destruction of infrastructure and schools, andlooting of equipment and books. As much as things are slowlyreturning to normal, thanks to the efforts of United Nations(UN) bodies, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), andlocal communities, education system revival and reforms arejust but beginning. And as much as ICT is acknowledged as apossible tool in the reform agenda and a possible catalystto bring about better quality and more accessible educationin Somalia, it does not feature in the current plans of mostof the organization working in Somalia or the ministry in charge.
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