The purpose of this thesis is to examine the grim necessity of state-building and the outwardly visible international actions in the present-day Somalia. Although the topic of state-building has received much scholarly attention, the limits of foreign intervention in the process are still hotly debated by academics and policy analysts. While the work is essentially a chronological presentation of the frequent peace-building efforts in Somalia, it is not merely a narrative history. I attempt to examine critically the impact that international intervention has had for the Somalis. Throughout this thesis, I also develop a number of parallel themes that if collectively considered, would argue for an alternative approach to the old-fashioned state-building policies common in post-conflict societies. These include harmonization of laws, constitutional courts, and judicial reform. The development of a thesis about just what the impact of "harmonization of law" amounts to, however, is really beyond the concerns of this study. It is an interesting and important topic that deserves a separate and equal treatment of its own and therefore will be given only secondary attention in one section of the thesis.