Inclusivity is key to the success of the Somalia New Deal compact

Following the Brussels conference on Somalia’s New Deal, Saferworld examines the urgent steps that should be taken to ensure inclusivity and participation in Somalia’s New Deal compact.

On 16 September, the Federal Government of Somalia and the EU co-hosted a conference in Brussels to discuss and endorse a New Deal compact for Somalia. The conference brought together the Federal Government and international partners with participation from some regional administrations and a limited number of national civil society representatives.

Heralded as a ‘major milestone’ in Somalia’s recent history, the compact sets out ambitious plans under five ‘peacebuilding and statebuilding goals’.[1] During the conference, donor pledges to support implementation of the plans amounted to €1.8 billion. The process was coordinated by an innovative high level task force made up of representatives of the government, donors, and one parliamentary and one civil society representative. Somaliland, the self-declared independent state, was included in the compact via the “Somaliland Special Arrangement” reflecting the differences in development and peacebuilding and statebuilding needs.  

However, the compact was born out of an accelerated New Deal process and its inclusivity and the ability of a wide range of Somali citizens to participate in the process have suffered as a result. While both the compact text and the Brussels conference communiqué emphasise that the compact is a ‘living document’, urgent steps must be taken by actors in the process - particularly the Federal Government - to engage Somali people in setting forth their priorities for statebuilding and peacebuilding.

As an agreement between a state and its people, the key strengths of a New Deal compact – the reason it offers something genuinely new –  come from the prioritisation of principles of participation and inclusivity. The absence of both of these has been a major obstacle to peacebuilding and statebuilding efforts in Somalia in the past. The Federal Government (with the support of international partners) has made significant steps forward in bringing some regional administrations into discussions. However, its efforts to reach out to the broader Somali public, involve them in the process, and build genuine and widespread Somali ownership have so far been limited and unambitious.

Ahead of the conference, consultations were held in Garowe with stakeholders including the government from Puntland, and with the Galmudug administration in Galkayo. Leaders of both administrations were in attendance in Brussels in September. They are, and will continue to be, vital partners in the continued development of the compact and in its implementation. Concrete action is necessary to consolidate this improved relationship both to ensure the long term success of the compact and contribute to immediate ambitions under the ‘inclusive politics’ goal within the compact itself.  Yet for the New Deal to succeed, the working relationship between other regional stakeholders and the Federal government must be improved. It is also crucial that the role of civil society is enhanced throughout the process.

The Federal Government, with the support of other regions and its partners, should reach out to other existing and emerging regional and local authorities. This should include consultations with all administrations on the content of the compact. This would help ensure its relevance and political buy-in and support for its agenda, including with the Interim Juba Administration following the Addis Ababa agreement between the Federal Government and Juba delegation on 28 August 2013.

Reflecting the priorities of the Somali people

While outreach to administrations in Somalia is crucial, it does not end there. The New Deal process emphasises the participation of the broader public in assessing causes of fragility and developing responses. Outreach to the public and the inclusion of their views into the compact to date has been poor. Pre-conference consultations were initially planned in ten cities across the country but only five consultations took place in four cities and towns, including those in Garowe and Galkayo, on a very limited scale.[2] Five limited consultation events are not enough to solicit the views and input of a wide range of people and ensure that the compact is truly reflective of how Somali people want these issues to be addressed. Some of the compact’s content also arguably speaks more to international priorities, particularly around addressing piracy, than to issues which affect the daily lives of people in Somalia. As a result, there has already been criticism of the process towards the compact by groups who feel they have been excluded.

The gap in consultation was recognised at the conference, with the conference communiqué emphasising ‘the importance of continued consultations across the country’.[3] The Federal Government and its international partners must fulfil this commitment and publicly set out the process and timeframe for a genuinely participatory fragility assessment. They must also explain how the results of this process will be incorporated into the text of the compact itself to ensure that priorities and the sequencing of implementation genuinely reflect the peacebuilding priorities of Somali people.

Ensuring that priorities are set in consultation with all social groups, including women, youth, minorities and others who have been traditionally marginalised in Somalia is crucial. Involving communities and civil society in the implementation and monitoring of results will be key to ensuring transparency and maintaining local buy-in to the process. As the Somalia analyst Matt Bryden recently noted, “Whether Somalia progresses along the path to peace or relapses into fragmentation and conflict depends on whether the [Somali Federal Government]… seizes the opportunity to enlarge its appeal by behaving as a government of national unity.”[4]

It is vital to get these elements right. If strengthened, the compact and New Deal process offers Somalia one of its best chances for effective and sustainable peace and statebuilding. But the authorities must work together, and they must include Somali people themselves as key stakeholders in the process as well as the beneficiaries of it. Civil society has a key role in supporting these processes to ensure the widest possible inclusion and outreach. The Federal Government and its partners should now ensure that they get the basics right in order to progress along the long path out of conflict and fragility.

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“Ensuring that priorities are set in consultation with all social groups, including women, youth, minorities and others who have been traditionally marginalised in Somalia is crucial. ”