Devolutionary Politics in Somalia: Prospects for Peacekeeping, Peacebuilding, and Development

This article examines the various devolved mechanisms and institutions that have emerged in Somalia since 1991 to close the governance gap, including: cross-clan collaborations, regional groupings, ideological federations, and business alliances. The author argues that informal, local types of governance present unique opportunities for peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and development, as well as the eradication of the armed Islamic group al Shabaab and the making of a new Somali political constitution.