Federal Government Of Somalia Research Articles

Assessing the Anti-Corruption Capability of Public E-Procurement Adoption: A Case Study in the Federal Government of Somalia

This study examines the potential of public e-procurement to serve as a means to counteract corruption in Somalia. Coupled with Generalized Linear Regression (GLM), survey research design is employed to investigate the dynamics between different e-procurement components and factors associated with corruption, such as monopoly power, asymmetric information, transparency, and accountability. The research focuses on ministries and government departments in Mogadishu, encompassing all 25 federal ministries in the sample. The findings reveal that public e-procurement is linked to a reduction in monopoly power, indicating a decline in the influence of single suppliers in the market. Additionally, e-procurement diminishes asymmetric information in the procurement process, promoting fairness and equal access to information for all stakeholders. The study further confirmed a positive relationship between e-procurement adoption and heightened transparency and accountability within public procurement processes. The implications of these findings are significant for policymakers, underscoring the value of investing in e-procurement infrastructure to foster integrity, operational efficiency, and public trust in the realm of public procurement.

A Critical Analysis of the Rights of an Accused Person During Trial in Somalia

This study focuses on critical analysis of the rights of an accused person during trial in Somalia. The rights of accused person in Somalia have become a contentious and serious issue owing to the on-going civil war in Somalia which has now lasted for two decades. The doctrinal research methodoly was used to collect and analyse the data used in the study. The relevant secondary data were collected through documetary review where relevant data was collected from different books, national and international legal statutues and scholarly publications of scholars in relation to the rights of an accused person during trial in Somalia. The study employed a systematic procedure to analyse documentary evidence and answer specific research questions in the study through repeated review, examination and interpretation of the data in order to gain meaning and empirical knowledge of the construct being studied. The study analysed the rights of an accused person under the various national laws of Somalia, the various forms of violation of the rights of an accused person in Somalia and the causes of the violation of the rights of an accused person in Somalia. The main findings of the study revealed that the various and sufficient rights of an accused person during train in Somalia, as provided by the Provisional Constitution of Somalia, 2012, and the Criminal Code Act of Somalia, 1963, include: right to liberty and security, right to be informed promptly of the offence charged, right to fair and speedy trial, right to humane treatment, the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, right to a fair hearing, right to defend himself or herself, right to counsel, right to be informed of the nature offense an accused person has committed, the right to an interpreter, the right to be present at the trial, right to be brought promptly before a capable court, the right to habeas corpus, the right to apply for bail, the right not to be compelled to testify against himself or herself, right to examine evidence or witnesses and the right to appeal. However, these rights are neither being promoted nor protected in Somalia; instead they are being violated in various ways which they encompass: violation of arrest procedures and unfair and cruel treatment of accused person, arbitrary arrest, denial of fair public trial, violation of trial procedures, unlawful treatment and detention of political prisoners and accused persons being caused by structural and legal ambiguity, the continuous practise of legal pluralism, the existence of broken chain in the justice system, high level of corruption and mismanagement, military interference. The study recommended that the Federal Government of Somalia through its three organs should enact new law, promote fair and procedural arrest of accused train and sensitise the people about their rights as an accused and should initiate good policies and project that can foster the promotion and protection of human rights in the sphere of accused person’s protection during and after trial in Somalia.

The Impact of High Government Debt on Economic Development in Somalia

This study focuses on the impact of high government debt on economic development in Somalia. The specific objectives of the study encompass: to examine the impact of high government debt on Somalia's economic development, to explore the strategies that can be used to mitigate the negative impact of high government debt on economic development in Somalia and to evaluate the role of international financial institutions in managing high government in Somalia. This study employed descriptive research design and quantitative research method to investigate the impact of heavily-indebted on rebuilding economic development in Somalia. The study employed purposive sampling technique to select the participants of the study. The sample size of the study was 80 participants. To collect data from the respondents which they entail: Government officials, Economic analysts, representatives from financial institutions, Business owners and entrepreneurs, representatives from Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and Academics (researchers and scholars). The study adopted close-ended questionnaire instrument data collected from the respondents of the study was entered, coded, sorted, organized and analyzed using Statistical Package Software Science (SPSS) version 28. The key findings of the study on the impacts of high government debt on Somalia's economic development entail: limited access to credit, increased debt servicing costs, inflation and currency depreciation, reduced investor confidence, limited fiscal space, vulnerability to external shocks and social unrest. The strategies the can be used to mitigate the negative impact of high government debt on economic development in Somalia include: promotion of financial literacy, strengthening regulatory framework, encouragement of diversification of the economy, Improving infrastructure and access to financial services, implementation of debt management strategies, fostering a conducive business environment and seeking external assistance and debt relief. And the role of international financial institutions in managing high government debt in Somalia entail: providing financial assistance, negotiating debt relief, offering technical expertise and supporting capacity-building. The study recommended that the Federal Government of Somalia should improve fiscal management and should work with international financial institutions and creditor countries to negotiate debt relief and restructuring agreements to reduce the burden of debt payments and boost economic development.

Peace Education and Conflict Prevention in Somalia

This study focused on Peace Education and Conflict Prevention in Somalia. The specific objectives of the study were to find out the different perceptions of the Somali people on peace education and conflict prevention in Somalia, to explore the importance of peace education in conflict prevention in Somalia and to determine the relationship between peace education and conflict prevention in Somalia. The study used qualitative research design using documentary analysis of various perspectives of the Somali people and that of scholars. The goal of the researcher was to expose the perspective of Somali educators on the importance of peace education and the possible causes and consequences of the conflict as well as the relationship that exist between peace education and conflict in Somalia. This study carried out a critical review of existing literature with in-depth interviews with key informants from the education sector. By employing qualitative approach in the study, the researcher carried out a thorough investigation into a wide range of secondary. Data was collected via the use of documentary review and interview guide. The study also relied on secondary data from textbooks, journals, and academic papers. The main findings of the study revealed that that peace education contributes to conflict prevention in Somalia. This was clearly revealed from the finding of the study where majority of the respondents an overwhelming majority of over (90%) of the participants in the study showed positive and relevant perception about peace education being the best tool that can be used to prevent conflict in Somalia, the study revealed that (100%) of the participants in the study agreed that peace education is vastly important in as far as conflict prevention is concerned in Somalia and lastly the study revealed that (100%) of the participants agreed and noted that peace education is related to conflict prevention. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education of the Federal Republic of Somalia and should reform and revise the current secondary and primary schools curriculum and then incorporate peace education with all the required contents which are instrumental in providing in-depth knowledge and skills to prevent conflict in Somalia, the Ministry of Education of Somalia should review the structure of the peace education programme goals, and its organization in order to bear fruits it is prepared for. Teachers, students, and parents are not familiar with the target goals and structure of peace education in Somalia. It is in this context that the program is still unpopular among these groups of people and the Federal Government of Somalia should ensure proper and timely training of teachers on peace education.

Youth Participation in Peacebuilding in Somalia: Challenges and Opportunities

This study focuses on the analysis of the challenges and opportunities of youth participation in peacebuilding in Somalia. The main objectives of the study were: to analyse the challenges of youth participation in peacebuilding related to the power dimensions of levels and spaces in Banadir region, Somalia and to explore the opportunities of youth participation in peacebuilding related to the power dimensions of levels and spaces in Somalia. The researcher used a qualitative approach of research to collect and analyse secondary data. The secondary data was collected through documentary review of books, articles, journals, reports that involved visiting the libraries and internet for the analysis of important documents in the search for topic issues. The information gathered from secondary data was resourceful in preparing the study and giving the research a more defined perspective. The secondary data were edited to check the accuracy, consistency and completeness of the information. The main findings of the study were that that the challenges hindering youth participation in Somalia include: poverty, lack of access to quality basic services like education, lack opportunities for youth to participate in peacebuilding, rigid culture, corruption, weak governance, prevalence of violence and insecurity and lack of resources and funding. And the key opportunities available for youth to participate in peacebuilding entail: increase youth opportunities for employment with entrepreneurship, market-focused, and public-private efforts, increase youth access to and use of high-quality education, increase youth engagement in community and government, conduct nation-wide campaign awareness on youth participation in peacebuilding and open space for youth to be leaders in the public sphere to strengthen the rule of law. The study recommended that the Federal Government of Somalia should promote, promote positive change to steer youth participation in peacebuilding, put in place mechanisms that engage youth in a collaborative fashion at all stages, include conflict analysis modules in the curriculum at appropriate levels, make education inclusive of all minority groups, including those people with disabilities, maintain contact with the trained youth facilitators, ensure that education is both inclusive and relevant to local needs and dedicate funding streams for peacebuilding in order to promote youth participation in peacebuilding in Somalia

The Major Causes of Local Currency Depreciation in Somalia

This study dwelled on the major causes of currency depreciation in Somalia. The main purpose of the study was to investigate in detail the major causes of local currency depreciation in Somalia. The study used qualitative research method using descriptive research design to investigate the major causes of local currency depreciation in Somalia. The study employed documentary review data collection tool and collected the secondary data through thorough review of the articles and books related to the major causes of local currency depreciation in Somalia. The key findings of the study on the major causes of local currency depreciation in Somalia encompass: existence of large quantities of Somali shillings in the market; the fall in the revenue collection by the government in the last two years weakens the country’s local currency and causes its depreciation; existing monetary problems that hinder the control of financial activities by business owners in Somalia by the central bank of Somalia and financial regulatory authority in Somalia; weak monetary control coupled with lack of effective monetary policy to regulate and control the amount of inflow and outflow of foreign currency by the financial authority in the government such as Central Bank of Somalia and ministry of finance of the Federal Republic of Somalia and lastly dollarization of the economy which has replaced local currency and depreciated it owing to the massive inflow of foreign currency inform of remittance without being monitor and controlled by the financial authority in the country. The study recommended that the Federal Government of Somalia should introduce new monetary policy to monitor, control and supervise financial activities in the country and the Federal Government of Somalia should implement financial reform that allow the use of local currency to carry out all local transactions in Somalia to enable the local currency to regain its value and reduce the increasing rate of local currency depreciation.

The Causes and Effects of Poverty in Somalia: A Case Study of Guriceel District, Galmudug State, Somalia

This study focused on the causes and effects of poverty in Guriceel district, Galmudug state, Somalia. The aim of the study was to examine the causes and effects of poverty in Guriceel district, Galmudug state, Somalia. The study adopted a descriptive survey and targeted 500 people in Guriceel district. A sample of 126 respondents of the target population was considered by use of stratified purposive sampling technique. The primary data was collected through the use of closed-ended questionnaires and secondary data was obtained from literatures reviewed from the published documents by various scholars to supplement the primary data. The key findings of the study were that there are many causes of poverty in Guriceel district which they include: continuous civil war in Somalia is hindering economic activities of the people which is subjecting them into poverty, high level of corruption among civil servants, the existence of weak rule of law and poor governance leading to poor and ineffective service delivery in the district is causing of poverty in the district, high level of unemployment leading to low income generation by the residents in the district is causing poverty, poor access to affordable and quality health care in the district is causing poverty, high reproductive rate in the district is causing poverty in the district, dangerous climate change resulting into continuous drought is causing poverty in the district and lastly poor planning and distribution of social and economic services in the district is causing poverty in the district. And the main effects of poverty in Guriceel district entail: increase in the risk of people becoming infected with chronic illness, made people to live in dilapidated housing, increase of the death rate in the district, high risk of education underachievement for children from poor families, increase of mental health problems among poor people, high risk of education underachievement for children from poor families, increase of mental health problems among poor people, widening of gender inequality gap, increase in the rate of malnutrition among children from poor families who have got inadequate nutrition, reduction of life expectancy level among poor people and lastly poverty increase in crime rate like theft in Guriceel district. The study recommends that Federal Government of Somalia should provide enough and quality social services, establish more vocational training schools, create more jobs for the jobless youth, empower women, promote and practise of effective accountability and transparency in the public service to curb corruption, provide quality and affordable health services, formulate new policy on new on friendly youth-employment, reform the education curriculum and of more micro-finance institutions in all sub-districts in Somalia to provide loan to poor people.

The Role of Leadership on Quality of Higher Education in the Banadir Region, Somalia

This research study focused on the role of leadership on quality of higher education in the Banadir region, Somalia. The specific objectives of the study were to explore the roles of leadership on the quality of higher education in the Banadir region, Somalia, to establish the different methods or approaches being used by leaders in promoting the quality of higher education in the Banadir region, Somalia and to examine the challenges affecting the roles of leadership on the quality of higher education in the Bandar region, Somalia. The study adopted a mixed research design to enhance the overall quality of results. The study population in the study categorized three groups. A total of sample size of 80 universities administrators, institutional administrators and full-time staff were surveyed from seven universities and Ministry of education, culture and higher education of Somalia using data collection instrument called questionnaire. The main findings of the study were that leadership in various universities in Somalia played leading roles in promoting quality higher education in Banadir region, Somalia and these roles encompass: leadership and management roles, academic leadership roles, institutional leadership roles, transformation leadership roles, administrative function roles and promoting and improving students’ performance roles. Furthermore, the findings of the study revealed that the main challenges affecting the roles of leadership on the quality of higher education in Banadir region, Somalia encompass: lack of developed excellent academic mission, vision, goals and the core values, low level of level of students’ engagement with the faculty, department, ineffective curriculum, lack of responsiveness and effectiveness of quality support services of the students, lack of management and implementation of quality assurance by complying with the academic and infrastructural standards, lack of enough technology infrastructure and ensures its effective use for enhancing teaching learning experience of the students, there is no adequate equipment, there is low level of understanding students' needs, courtesy and so forth. The main recommendations of the study were that leadership in the university should play their crucial roles pertaining quality higher education promotion and provision of quality students’ service and the Federal Government of Somalia should provide learning resources to various universities to foster quality higher education promotion, should carry curriculum review and revision as well as establishment of education policy reform to promote quality higher education in Somalia.

Setting Up a Cytology Laboratory for Cervical Cancer Screening in a Developing Country: A One Year’s Early Experience at a Private Facility

Introduction: Widespread cytology-based method of screening such as Pap smear test has significantly led to a reduction in the incidence and mortality associated with cervical cancer in many developed countries. In these countries, facilities needed for early detection of cervical cancer such as cytology laboratories are existent and generally available to their population. In a developing country like Somalia, access to cytology services for cervical cancer screening remains limited and as result majority of patients present with advanced stage disease (stage III & IV) that is too difficult to treat. Intervention: To address this challenge, the management of AL-Zahra Specialty Hospital contracted a cytologist based in Uganda to guide in setting-up of cytology laboratory in the heart of Mogadishu, Somalia so as to provide cervical cancer screening and diagnostics services to the population. Other interventions made by the visiting cytologist involved guiding the procurement officer in the purchase of basic equipment, reagents, consumables and training of health care staff. This resulted into conducting 1020 cervical cytological tests over a period of 12months (1st September, 2018 to 30th September 2019). Lesions learnt: In order to increase access to cytology services, we learnt that the federal government of Somalia should consider making cervical cytology (pap smear test) as part of routine screening policy for all sexually active women as part of health care package. An increase in sample volume may be improved through awareness campaigns and conducting community screening activities. Conclusion: Somalia, a developing country has made great strides towards addressing the limited facilities for cervical cancer screening by using very limited funding. We hope that our experiences shall provide technical guidance & direction to physicians, laboratory managers and investors who wish to establish similar cervical cytology laboratories in an economically constrained low-resource setting.

Opportunities and Challenges of Women Participation in Somalia Politics: Case Study of Puntland State

Throughout Somalia, women’s status in politics is considered a very hot issue to talk about openly on debates because Somalia experienced political dynamics rapidly over the past three decades, and adopted federalism system. However, Puntland, a semi-autonomous state, was established on August 1998 and exercise de facto authority in its jurisdictions and organize elections unilaterally. The study explores the opportunities and challenges of women participation in Somalia politics. This study employed a descriptive research method of primary and secondary data collection using Likert scale structured questionnaire. Findings show that this study represented the overall findings of the interviewees intwined with the most relevant and proponent literatures including up-to-date reports, papers, articles and the constitutions of both federal government of Somalia and Puntland State and of which stipulate the fundamental rights of the citizenries such saying citizens have the right to vote, the right to public office, the right to reside and travel freely in any part of the territory of the state, and the right to political association. However, the study found that all these principals appear only as de jure principles written on paper because, the pattern of Puntland female parliamentarians has been deteriorating over the last two decades due to many factors including the educational level of the women, the women’s recognition, the patriarchal-oriented behavior, and preference of male over female by the clan leaders who are entry point for the politics and have a crucial role in determining who get selected for political positions. Contrariwise, the women’s appointed positions of power were quite scaling up with the will of the president (s), and number of women standing for having an interest in political positions has been heightened. Conversely, the study also explores the potential opportunities available for women’s participation in Puntland state of Somalia and concluded establishing rigid political campaign strategy such as extending service to the vulnerable people and/or advocating for their interest at the decision tables and so forth.

Waging Peace, towards an Africa Union Stabilisation Strategy for Somalia

Abstract Over the last few years, successful military operations across Somalia have helped to unshackle towns south of Mogadishu from al Shabaab, demonstrating the capacity of the African Union Mission to Somalia (amisom) to achieve parts of its mandate. However, friction between the Federal Government of Somalia and the Federal Member States have heightened tensions and rifts over elections, state management and overall security, despite significant international support. Despite amisom s efforts, the legacies of the 1990s civil war have remained unresolved, and state restoration has been disrupted by political, clannish, environmental and structural challenges. In contrast, al Shabaab remains adaptable, resilient and exploits grievances, local dynamics, and competition over resources. This paper argues, the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council needs to re-mandate and reinforce amisom in conjunction with an AU stabilisation strategy for Somalia which exploits experiences from the AU’s Regional Stabilisation Strategy for the Lake Chad Basin.

Governance and Strategy Implementation in the Federal Government of Somalia

The study examined the relationship between five governance principles - transparency, accountability, equity, and employee participation and financial strategy implementation in Somalia using a sample of 297 financial institutions. Corporate governance principles were moderately practiced (median of 3 and 4 on a 5-point Likert scale) and were significantly related to the implementation of financial management strategy (accountability: r =.734, p<.05; equity: r =.534, p<.05; employee participation: r =.643, p<.05; transparency (r =.629, p<.05). Somalia's federal government should strengthen corporate governance to improve financial strategy implementation.

Comparison of the Secret Service of al-Shabaab, the Amniyat, and the National Intelligence and Security Agency (Somalia)

This is a comparative analysis of the secret service of al-Shabaab, the Amniyat, and the Somali government’s security unit, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). It begins with the short history of al-Shabaab as an introduction to understand the roots of the movement and how the resurgence of the group is tied to the effective management of the Amniyat. Then it analyzes the capabilities and capacities of the intelligence apparatuses of al-Shabaab and the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), highlighting the similarities and differences between the organizations. Viewed from the perspective of the local population, the terrorist group provides security and predictability for individuals living under its control, gained local respect for managing its forces, and uses its secret service, the Amniyat, effectively. NISA suffers from the same problems as its predecessor in the Siad Barre regime, such as lack of transparency, overpoliticization, and involvement in illegal activities. Furthermore, there is lack of cooperation and transparency between local intelligence services and police forces. While the FGS realized the importance of doing away with clan-based security systems, the dominance of clans is still constantly increasing at the expense of the government. Today, al-Shabaab’s intelligence capacities and capabilities are more advanced than those of the NISA, hence the centralization and unification of the security architecture is of chief importance.

ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITION ADVOCACY IN SOMALIA REPORT: GAPS, OPPORTUNITIES AND KEY MESSAGES

Purpose: This inception report on the comprehensive assessment through desk reviews and analysis nutrition gaps in policy, political commitment, resource allocation and multi-sectoral coordination to inform the development of guideline and messages. This is as a follow-up of preliminary discussion held and concept agreed with the office of the national coordination for Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN), Somalia housed in the Office of Prime Minister (OPM), Federal Government of Somalia. This summary report presents findings from the assessment and a discussion of methodology, challenges and opportunities. By identifying and contextualizing new findings, nutrition advocacy assessment builds consensus in Somalia with a vision and path ahead for improved nutrition messaging and guidelines that various actors will use of advocacy work.
 Methodology: 30 documents were gathered and reviewed, including - national legislation, policies, guidelines, strategies and action plans to assess the inclusion of adolescents and current gaps. Interviews were conducted with 20 stakeholders from government, donors, UN, communities and non-governmental institutions in Somalia. The review, analysis and stakeholder interviews assessed the extent to which nutritional aspects were being addressed, any gaps in the policy landscape, commitments, multi-sectoral coordination, advocacy initiatives and recommendations for strengthening the enabling environment.
 Findings: It was established that awareness of SUN as a movement in Somalia was rated highly at however participation in SUN activities was very low and was left to nutritionist in the various sector/Institutions. Government has also shown a great political will and commitment to nutrition by ensuring policies and legislative frameworks are sufficient even though multi-sectoral nutrition integration is not optimal to impact desired impact.
 Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: It was recommended that there is need to advocate political and administrative authorities, to further convince them to add nutrition among the top priorities of the governments, translate policies into actions and ensure allocation of funds for nutrition interventions. Also, Government must strongly provide leadership in nutrition policy development, programing and coordination.

Military advising and assistance in Somalia: fragmented interveners, fragmented Somali military forces

ABSTRACT Southern Somalia has attracted substantial military aid and assistance for decades. As the state disintegrated in the late 1980s, clan dynamics became more critical, warlords emerged, and power bases shifted. Since 2008, the number of foreign military forces and advisors (including private military contractors) has substantially increased, as has the creation of numerous Somali security units. Such actions are symptomatic of broader trends concerning multilateral attempts to rebuild security forces in fractious states, where security assistance activities lack unity or common national interests. This has resulted in various Somali military forces with different loyalties (domestic and international), capabilities, and priorities in each Federal Member State (FMS). Uneven foreign military training programs in the context of survival politics fuels the fragmentation of various security forces. Locally appropriate military forces in each FMS potentially appear to be more effective at resisting Al-Shabaab. However, locally appropriate military forces contribute to further fragmentation, as security donors bypass the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) to directly assist these localized forces. This accelerates devolution of military forces outside of FGS control. These assessments are based on fieldwork and interviews with security officials in East Africa.

Trusting in Somalia’s stateless money: The persistence of the Somali shilling

Abstract In 2016, the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) announced plans to re-launch the Somali shilling (SoSh), which had its last official printing before the state collapsed in 1991. The article takes this pivotal moment to address the following three questions: (i) Why has the stateless SoSh persisted? (ii) Why is Somalia considering re-introducing an official currency at this point? (iii) What do Somalia’s monetary experiences tell us about relationships among ordinary citizens, elites, and the state in Africa? The article offers an explanation based on a theory of social trust to account for the persistence of the SoSh. Unlike other studies that mainly emphasize a risk aversion attribute to explain the reliance on the trusted and familiar under conditions of precarity, this approach shows how trust can be scaled to explain important macro-level phenomena, such as export trade and nationalism. It proposes that the Somalia story is relevant to other African cases where public trust, state sovereignty, and monetary systems are weak and contested. Finally, the paper concludes that a lack of trust in the FGS and its ability to ensure the value of a new SoSh means that many Somalis are better off with their fragmented currency system rather than a monetary experiment likely to further destabilize an already volatile environment.

Dialoguing and negotiating with Al-Shabaab: the role of clan elders as insider-partial mediators

ABSTRACT Since 2015, Al-Shabaab and the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) have been locked in a violent, protracted stalemate. There is little momentum to pursue a political settlement, with Al-Shabaab rejecting any overtures of dialogue. Drawing on theoretical perspectives from peace and conflict literature and key interviews with clan elders and Al-Shabaab defectors, this article explores two interconnected themes. First, Al-Shabaab's dynamic attitudes towards dialogue since the group's establishment; and second, how clan elders play diverse peace-seeking roles, negotiating between Al-Shabaab and FGS at the microlevel. The article highlights two important findings. First, Al-Shabaab was initially inclined toward dialogue but, following the death and defection of senior members, increasingly adopted an anti-negotiation stance. Second, whilst Al-Shabaab is obstinately refusing any dialogue on the macrolevel, at the microlevel, the group indirectly negotiates with the FGS and other actors using clan elders as interlocutors and facilitators. Finally, the article explores the idea that, instead of relying on foreign third-party mediators to resolve Somalia's protracted stalemate at the macrolevel, clan elders, as credible insider-partial mediators possessing locally sourced legitimacy and perceived integrity, have the capacity to help overcome the stalemate between Al-Shabaab and the FGS.

Somalia

Somalia has an historic opportunity to turn the page on decades of conflict, fragility and state fragmentation, and embark on a trajectory towards poverty reduction and inclusive growth. For over two decades, Somalia has experienced protracted conflict and fragility, the collapse of rule of law, institutions, basic public services and the social contract, resulting in the impoverishment of millions. The 2012 Provisional Constitution established a federal political structure, including a parliament, the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and the Federal Member States (FMS). The sustained political, economic and institutional reforms undertaken since 2016 have succeeded in rebuilding core state capabilities.

Tax Reforms of the Federal Government of Somalia

Tax Reforms of the Federal Government of Somalia

Building peace from the margins in Somalia: The case for political settlement with Al-Shabaab

ABSTRACTThe prevailing discourse in Mogadishu among the federal government of Somalia and the international community is that Al-Shabaab is no longer relevant in contemporary Somali political landscape. In the language of the government, Al-Shabaab is like a lost crocodile thrown out from the river. In the lexicon of the international community, Al-Shabaab is gradually receding. In fact, Al-Shabaab is actually puissant and potent in terms of social, political and military capabilities; not just in Somalia, but also in the wider East Africa region. Why is Al-Shabaab resilient and resistant? Why is it even more effective than the federal government? To answer these questions, this article reveals how Al-Shabaab is increasingly more legitimate than the federal government. In conclusion, the article proposes that negotiated settlement with the insurgency movement could lead to peace in war-torn southern Somalia.