Mali experienced two decades of democratic rule and was hailed as an example of African stability.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

These people will resist our efforts to bring stability and the rule of law to Somalia.

UN: Secretary-General

Last September, a UN-backed government came to power, after eight years of transitional rule, bringing some stability to some areas.

BBC: Somalia famine 'killed 260,000 people'

But so far, Mr Putin seems more interested in Europe as a source of modernisation and stability for Russia than as a club with its own demanding rules about democracy and the rule of law.

ECONOMIST: A survey of Russia

As a rule, though, governments would do better to harness the power of markets to boost stability, by demanding transparency, promoting standardisation and exchange-based trading.

ECONOMIST: Shifting the balance