Federal Governance System between the Purpose of Unity and Fear of Disintegration: A Case Study Somalia

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue V, May 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

Federal Governance System between the Purpose of Unity and Fear of Disintegration: A Case Study Somalia

Abdiwali Mohamed Sayid¹, Dr. Lecturer, Başak Özoral^2
1Master Student, Institute of Social Science, Department of African Studies and International Relations, Istanbul Commerce University, Istanbul, Turkey
²Lecturer at Political Science and International Relations, Department of African Studies and International Relations, Istanbul Commerce University, Istanbul, Turkey

Abstract: After twenty-one years of military dictatorship, the central government of Somalia collapsed in 1991. The country witnessed severe civil war and led to human suffering. After years of tremendous efforts, the Somali political stakeholders with the support of the international community succeeded to establish a federal government. However, since the adaptation of the federal system in 2004, very little have been achieved in the federalization of the country. This is because of the widespread misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the federal system.. The misunderstanding stems from the strangeness of the system in Somalia, where since the independence Somalis have been familiar with a unitary central government. Sixteen years since the system is officially embraced, the federal constitution is not finished and very significance issues for federation are yet to be agreed upon. This has created continuous conflict and power struggle. For theoretical contribution, this study applied the basic concepts and components of Malcom M. Feeley and Edward Rubin’s theory of “Federal Theory: The political identity and Tragic Compromise” to the Somalia case. The study examined the politicized clan identity and the relative geographical distribution of clans and how these factors compelled to a federal system after the breakout of the civil war.

Key Words: Dictatorship, Civil War, Federalism, Political Identity, Tragic Compromise

I. INTRODUCTION

Somalia struggles to stand its foot again after nearly three decades of civil war and absence of capable state which led to severe violation of human rights, the rise of terrorism and the emergence the pirates. Since 1991, the endeavors have been going on to establish a functioning state with the involvement and the supervision of the International Community. A number of national reconciliation conferences have been convened by external mediators in an effort to resolve the crisis (Menkhaus, et al, 2008). Fifteen reconciliation conferences have been held inside and outside Somalia between 1991 and 2009 to actualize a consensus among the warlords who compete over power and resources. Most of the conferences fell short to achieve the objectives intended due to the particularistic agenda of the Somali’s political elites.

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