Prospects for Somalia: towards 2016 and beyond

Will Somalia be able to conduct credible elections in 2016, and how will the death of al-Shabaab leader, Godane, affect prospects for peace?

Date: 2014-10-09

Time: 09:00 to 17:00

Venue: Sarova Panafric Hotel , Nairobi

RSVP: Samira Yusuf
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +254 72 860 7642
Mobile: +254 72 296 5097

The Somali Federal government has expressed confidence that national elections will be conducted in 2016. This will be the first national popular election in more than 25 years. The government’s optimism comes amid misgivings over the state of insecurity in the country, typified by the killing of a number of government officials. There is also the concern over the government’s progress in establishing the infrastructure needed to hold a popular vote, including enacting a new constitution and setting up regional administrations, among others.

This workshop will examine whether or not Somalia would be able to organise a credible popular vote in 2016, and will review the role of international actors in stabilising and rebuilding the country. It will also assess what implications the killing of al-Shabaab leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane, will have on the consolidation of peace in Somalia.

Opening remarks:

• Peter Aling'o, Head of Nairobi office
• Abdi Aynte, Director, The Heritage Institute for Policy Studies
• Markus Baldus, Regional Representative, Hanns Seidel Foundation

Keynote address:

• Hon Lydia Wanyoto, Ag. Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia and Head of Mission, AMISOM Mogadishu.

Session 1: Current state of affairs in Somalia

Chair: Peter Aling’o

Panellists:

• Abdi Aynte, Director, The Heritage Institute for Policy Studies
• Dr Opiyo Ododa, Senior Civil Affairs Officer, African Union Mission in Somalia

Session 2: The security threat and responses

Chair: Emmanuel Kisiangani, Senior Researcher, ISS Nairobi

Panellists:

• Jihan Hassan, Advisor to Somalia’s Defence Minister
• Martine Zeuthen, Team Leader, The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies

Session 3: Regional and international engagement

Chair: Markus Baldus

Panellists:

• Dr Ibrahim Farah, Lecturer, Univeristy of Nairobi
• Jan-Petter Holtedahl, Counsellor for Somali Affairs at the Royal Norwegian Embassy (Nairobi)

Session 4: The way forward – 2016 and beyond

Chair: Markus Baldus

Panellists:

• Abdi Aynte
• Dr Opiyo Ododa
• Jan-Petter Holtedahl
• Dr Farah Ibrahim
• Jihan Hassan
• Martine Zeuthen

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