Somalia: Internal Fights Over a Small Pie

The Institute for Security Studies published on 23 October 2018 an analysis titled "Somalia's Zero-sum Politics Will See No Winners" by Omar S. Mahmood.

Somalia's federal partners continue to fight over limited resources. The author argues that the solution is to work together to expand the size of the pie rather than fight over the small one that currently defines Somalia.

Building an Effective Somali National Security Force

The Woodrow Wilson Center's Africa UP Close blog published a piece on 7 April 2014 titled "Lessons from the Field: One Somalia, One Army? Building an Effective Somali National Security Force" by Paul D. Williams, associate professor in the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University.  Williams analyzes the current challenges facing the Somali National Army and its external donors.

Somalia/Somaliland: US Dual Track Policy

I was asked to address the US dual track policy towards Somalia and Somaliland on the occasion of the 18 May 2012 Somaliland Conference at the Hilton Hotel near Dulles International Airport in Virginia. While I expressed support for all that Somaliland has accomplished, I emphasized that the U.S. dual track policy does not portend diplomatic recognition.

Click here to read my presentation.

Somali Sub-national Entities

In July 2011, Chatham House in London hosted a meeting for persons interested in the emergence of Somali sub-national entities such as Somaliland, Puntland and Galmudug. It published in December 2011 a summary of the results of that meeting titled Somalia's Transition: What Role for Sub-National Entities?

Persons attending the meeting concluded that the establishment of sub-national entities is not necessarily contrary to the prospects of establishing national government, but fitting the two processes together requires a nuanced reading of the transitional Charter. Emerging entities that can operate within a broad constitutional framework may well help towards building a viable federal government where authority is confirmed from established federal states and authorities.