The Rift Valley Institute and Somali Public Agenda published in 2022 a report titled "The Role of Religious Actors in Contemporary Somali Politics: Key Dynamics and Opportunities for Engagement" by Stig Jarle Hansen, Mahad Wasuge, Abdimalik Abdullahi, and Abdullahi Adan.
Since the collapse of the Somali state in 1991, religious organizations have demonstrated strong staying power when compared with the rapidly changing mosaic of non-faith-based actors. In so doing, they have acted as a source of institutional stability in Somalia. At one end of the spectrum, religious groups actively participate in armed combat or seek to gain power over, or exert influence on government. At the other end lies the broader societal influence wielded by religious leaders and groups, which, though not explicitly political, may have political consequences. Religious actors are set to play a significant role in Somalia's emerging democratization process and the broader shaping of the country's political settlement in the years to come.
