Improving Coordination in Somalia’s Stabilisation: Addressing Resource and Power Competition

A new offensive against Al-Shabaab has been ongoing in central Somalia since August 2022. Local clan militias, known as Ma’awisley, have supported the Somali National Army (SNA) in efforts to liberate their clan settlements from Al-Shabaab control. The offensive is categorised into two main stages: liberation (xoreyn) and stabilisation (xasilin). The stabilisation stage involves a series of interventions outlined in the federal government’s National Stabilisation Strategy (NSS), 2022–2026. Yet these stabilisation efforts face a major challenge: competition for resources among key stakeholders has led to power struggles over access to and control over funds. In this policy brief, we argue that the interconnected challenges of resource and power struggle create coordination problems, undermining the effectiveness and success of stabilisation efforts.