Publications

Villa Somalia’s war against Jubaland and other regional states is a worrying case of misplaced priorities. First, it diverts vital resources from the fight against al-Shabab, which is Somalia’s agent and necessary war. Second, it complicates Somalia’s economic recovery process and provokes a war with Kenya; justified to sweep Farmaajo’s re-election wave in 2020/2021. Somalia must fix its attention on defeating the al-Shabaab and on development to drain the swamps of violent extremism..

The strategic partnership between President Abdullahi Farmaajo and Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre that has held Somalia together since 2018 has done its course. Somalia is headed for a historic election in 2020/2021. As the electoral fever kicks in, Somalia reflects two diametrically opposed electoral strategies. Somalia is waging “three wars”.

The first “war” is a metaphorical one, a benign crusade for Somalia’s economic recovery and empowerment of the its people, which has enabled one of Africa’s poorest countries to epically return to the world economic stage. Moderates in Villa Somalia are pivoting Somalia from its historical preoccupation with militarism to development, poverty eradication and to drain the swamps of extremism.