Beyond Divides: Pathways for Somalia’s National Dialogue
Somalia’s state-building process remains marked by deep political and constitutional divisions. Disputes over national unity, federalism, clan-based power-sharing, electoral arrangements, the status of Mogadishu and the management of political transitions continue to shape the country’s political landscape.
This report, developed by the Folke Bernadotte Academy in collaboration with the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS), examines whether a genuinely inclusive and nationally owned dialogue could serve as a mechanism for addressing these challenges. Drawing on a desk review and focus group discussions conducted across Somalia, the report highlights widespread mistrust in current political processes and the exclusion of key groups, including women, youth and marginalized communities.
The report finds strong support for a credible national dialogue as a pathway out of Somalia’s political stalemate. It argues that such a dialogue must be designed around meaningful inclusion, credible convening arrangements and clear implementation mechanisms. Without these safeguards, dialogue risks reproducing the exclusions and power imbalances that have undermined Somalia’s political processes in the past.