Since August 2012, Somalia has embarked upon a turbulent process of forming federal states. In the wake of past political processes, which had limited success and were often criticized as elite driven and divorced from popular needs, the hope is that the current endeavour will not repeat past mistakes.

On Friday 22 April 2016, the Rift Valley Forum hosted the launch of a new report by Saferworld—Forging Jubaland: Community perspectives on federalism, governance and reconciliation. This report, the product of two years of research, examines whether the introduction of federalism is meeting the reconciliation and governance needs of the people of Jubaland.

The report paints a mixed picture. On the one hand the formation of the Jubaland administration has brought gains in security and the delivery of public services across the region and efforts by the Jubaland administration at public consultation have served to open space for dialogue on political reconciliation and issues of good governance. On the other hand support for social reconciliation has been limited and the focus of stabilisation and development efforts in Kismayo risks fuelling tensions between the centre and other parts of Jubaland. 

The authors of the report presented its findings and discussed the lessons from Jubaland for other emerging federal member states of Somalia. This is the first of a series of meetings that will also take place in Somalia—Kismayo on 26 April and Mogadishu on 28 April. For further information on these events please email jcrouch@saferworld.org. 
 
Light refreshments will be served before and after the event.
 

Moderator

Pete Mackenzie
Country Director, Saferworld
 

Speakers

Abdullahi Shirwa,
SOSCENSA

Abdi Ali, 
Programmes Adviser,  Saferworld 

Halima Farah,
Somali Women’s Solidarity Organisation

Joanne Crouch ,
Project Manager, Saferworld