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Vol 62 No 1

Published 7th January 2021


Somalia

Voting may not bring peace

When elections are over, oil and gas are likely to move centre-stage, and the changing geopolitical context will have deep effects

No Somali election passes without conflict. The hardening stances of the government and its opponents caused first delays in selecting new members of parliament, and then argument about the running of the presidential elections, due in February 2021. The international community has backed President Mohammed Abdullah Mohammed 'Farmajo' for too many years to be in a good position to restore balance between the parties. A winner –likely Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed or Farmajo – will emerge from this messy process, but he will face polarised Federal Member States, a divided Somali National Army, and clan conflicts in many sensitive areas.

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