Publication

In the run up to Somalia's August 2016 elections, this brief examines what the author sees as the key issues for state- and peacebuilding efforts in the country. These include: 1) clan identity and relationships, including how they shape regional and federal politics in the country; 2) the problems created by a political system marked by shifting alliances among political groups and networks as well as different clans - including those for international engagement; 3) the ongoing creation of a federal system in the country, which started in 2012; 4) security in the country and international efforts to deal with the threat posed by the Islamist group, al-Shabaab; and 5) the potential for a humanitarian crisis to develop in the country due to food insecurity.