Why did the Somali state collapse? How is it possible for a country, which is so ethnically homogenous to be so divided? These questions have undoubtedly generated as many answers as the number of analysts, researchers and writers who have tried to grapple with them. Dr Abdirachid Ismail argues that contrary to the conventional explanations such as tribalism, dictatorship, corruption or the role of external powers, the collapse of the Somali State is rooted in culture. Starting with a re-interpretation of culture, the author interrogates the recent history of the Somalis, from colonization to civil war and the final collapse of their State and proffers a way forward.