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January-February 2017  |  Vol 29: Issue 1

A Member of the Somalia Federal Parliament casts her ballot during the first round of the presidential election in Mogadishu on 8, February, 2017. UN Photo/Ilyas Ahmed

This January-February issue focuses on the elections in Somalia and their impact on the future of Somalia. This issue also addresses the interface between the elections in Somalia and their impact on ‘Somaliland.’ Interestingly, the issue of the HAB was overtaken by the Somalia elections which proceeded more rapidly than anticipated; the elections in Somalia began in 2016 and after repeated postponements were finally concluded on the 8th of February 2017.  The larger canvas is also critical in this context. The recent elections in Somalia have generated high expectations in Somalia regarding peace and reconstitution of the fragmented Somali state, but at the same time leave the door open to disillusionment, if the new president does not perform as expected. Therefore, expectations and hope will need to be tempered especially bearing in mind the intractable challenges that the new president is facing.

Somali elections online: View from Mogadishu

By Faduma Abukar Mursal

This article describes how social media users have commented on the events around the Somali presidential election, and observations of tensions and celebrations in the streets of Mogadishu and online. It aims to illustrate the ways the Internet provided a space for political discussions between Somalis. continue reading

    

Somalia under Farmaajo: Fresh start or another false dawn?

By Najum Mushtaq

When the US ambassador to Somalia, Stephen Schwartz, met the new president of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, better known as ‘Farmaajo’, a US citizen, he presented him with a Trump cap with the slogan “Make Somalia Great Again.” The ambassador’s gesture echoed the widespread celebrations in Somali communities across the world—from Mogadishu to Nairobi to Buffalo and Minneapolis—and an unprecedented level of optimism and expectations in the new administration. In order to understand the upbeat response to Farmaajo’s election and his popularity, the context of his electoral victory must be taken into account. continue reading

    


More in this issue

Somalia’s recent election gives Somali women a glimmer of hope

By Mohamed Amin


‘Regional’ representation and resistance: Is there a relationship between 2017 elections in Somalia and Somaliland?

By Peter Chonka


Money and drought: Beyond the politico-security sustainability of elections in Somalia and Somaliland

By Aly Verjee
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Horn of Africa Bulletin, Volume Volume 29 , No. Issue 1 , January-February 2017
 

Editorial information
This publication is produced by the Life & Peace Institute (LPI) with support from the Bread for the World, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and Church of Sweden International Department. The donors are not involved in the production and are not responsible for the contents of the publication.

Editorial principles
The Horn of Africa Bulletin is a regional policy periodical, monitoring and analysing key peace and security issues in the Horn with a view to inform and provide alternative analysis on on-going debates and generate policy dialogue around matters of conflict transformation and peacebuilding. The material published in HAB represents a variety of sources and does not necessarily express the views of the LPI.

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ISSN 2002-1666