Transition in Somalia

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in South Africa hosted a seminar on Somalia on 23 November 2012.  The two key presentations were made by Ibrahim Farah, a lecturer at the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies, University of Nairobi, and Abdi Aynte, a Somali journalist and senior editor of Aljazeera English. 

Click here to read a summary of their remarks.

Challenges for New Ethiopian Government

Solomon Dersso, Conflict Prevention and Risk Analysis Division of the Institute for Security Studies in Addis Ababa, published a brief commentary 20 September 2012 titled "The Arduous Road Ahead for Ethiopia's New Leader."

While he judged the appointment of Hailemariam Desalegn as prime minister and Demeke Mekonnen as deputy prime minister "a welcome development and good beginning," he spelled out a number of issues that must be addressed. These include widening of political space, a willingness to listen to the concerns of all sections of society, mending fractured relations in parts of the country, removing practices that hinder the free movement of capital and labor, aggressively fighting corruption, and winning support of Ethiopians outside the ruling party.

Click here to read the commentary.

Seminar on Somalia's Future

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) held a seminar in Nairobi on 16 August 2012 titled "Somalia's Transition New Hopes, Old Fears." The Honorable Wafula Wamunyinyi, Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission to Somalia; Abdulrazak Fartaag, previously in the office of the prime minister of Somalia; and Ibrahim Farah, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi, made presentations.

Click here to read a summary of their presentations.