The
conflicts throughout Somalia have evolved over the past three decades, with the
current state of violent extremism predicated on the exploitation of
pre-existing clan grievances. The layers of conflict are incredibly localized
with specific grievances tailored to each community, unpacking these grievances
is an integral part of the transition, recovery and development needs of
Somalia. The road to peace and development remains a long-term process, with
some regions being ahead of others. Currently, the most at-risk regions
correlate with those that have remained marginal to development and
humanitarian interventions, including, inter
alia, Middle and Lower Shabelle; Middle Juba, Galkayo District in Galmadug
state and parts of Bakool region. Longstanding clan grievances coupled with
land and resource scarcity and political representation have led to al Shabaab
exploiting the existing tensions making these regions fertile ground for
conflict and displacement.
The
proposed Action will primarily target the main urban centers where the
displacement crises has been contributed to deepen the urban crises. Cities and
towns like Johwar and Beletweyne but also Dhusamareeb have a tremendous
infrastructure backlog. The floods in 2018 along the Shabelle River have caused
additional damage to urban infrastructure (see also Humanitarian Needs and
Response Plan 2019).
The
programme will be aligned with and built on existing government priorities,
planning frameworks and strategies for both catalysing stability gains in the
country, restoring state authority in recovered areas and finding lasting
solutions to displacement. These include, but are not limited to the Wadajir
Framework for Local Governance, Peace and Reconciliation; The Comprehensive
Approach to Security (strands 3 and 4), the National Development Plan, Chapter
8 on Resilience and the national Durable Solutions Initiative (DSI; 2016); the
National Transition Plan[1];
and impending Reconciliation Framework.
[1] The National Transition
Plan is an ongoing discussion between AMISOM, the Federal Government of Somalia
and international partners and focuses on the drawdown of AMISOM, to be
replaced by national security institutions and is based on the achievement of a
set of security milestones and conditions.
