Peace Governance and SDG 16 in Somalia
This report argues that Somalia's transition from fragile recovery to sustainable development requires moving beyond narrow stabilization to a locally legitimate SDG 16 framework that integrates formal, customary, and religious justice systems while strengthening institutional accountability, transparency, and inclusive citizen participation.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
In the study of how nations function, there is a growing recognition that peace is not merely the absence of fighting, but the presence of fair systems that allow people to live without fear. This field of inquiry looks at how governments build trust, how laws are applied to everyone equally, and how citizens can hold leaders accountable. When these systems are weak or broken, other efforts to improve health, reduce poverty, or build schools often fail because the foundation is unstable. One specific goal, known as Sustainable Development Goal 16, focuses entirely on these foundations: promoting peaceful societies, ensuring access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable institutions. For a country emerging from decades of conflict, achieving this goal is not just a political aspiration but a practical necessity for survival and growth.
Researchers at Somali National University and Mogadishu University have examined how this goal applies to Somalia, a nation where the path to stability has been long and difficult. Their work investigates whether the country's current approach to rebuilding is sufficient. They found that simply trying to stop violence or stabilize a region is not enough if the underlying systems of justice and governance remain broken. The authors argue that for Somalia to move from fragile recovery to lasting peace, it must address deep structural problems, including corruption, the dominance of clan-based politics, and a justice system that is fragmented and often inaccessible to ordinary people.
The study highlights that Somalia's legal landscape is a complex mix of three different systems. There is the formal government court system, which is often weak and under-resourced. There is the religious system based on Islamic law, and there is the traditional customary system, known as xeer, which relies on elders and community agreements to resolve disputes. While this variety might seem like a strength, the researchers found that without a clear way to connect them, the result is a confusing patchwork where authority is unclear and access to justice is uneven. Even with help from international partners to build mobile courts and train lawyers, progress remains slow because these efforts often clash with the interests of political elites or are undermined by insecurity and corruption.
The authors suggest that the way forward requires a shift in how peace is built. Instead of focusing only on security forces and short-term fixes, the country needs to invest in a system where different types of justice work together under a framework that respects human rights. This means connecting the formal courts with the traditional and religious mechanisms that people already trust, rather than trying to replace them entirely. Furthermore, the study emphasizes that building peace is not just the job of the police or the courts. It requires strong oversight to prevent corruption, genuine inclusion of citizens in decision-making, and the active participation of universities and civil society groups. These groups play a vital role in expanding the circle of people who understand and support the rule of law.
The researchers point to evidence from within Somalia and from similar regions to show that peace is most durable when it is built from the ground up. In some areas, peace was achieved through grassroots meetings where community leaders and politicians negotiated a new social order before rebuilding government structures. This approach suggests that solutions imposed from the outside often fail because they do not match what local people expect or need. The study concludes that Sustainable Development Goal 16 is not a simple checklist of tasks but the very architecture needed to rebuild trust. If Somalia continues to prioritize narrow security measures without equally investing in fair justice, transparency, and inclusion, its recovery will remain fragile. However, if the country embraces a locally rooted approach that strengthens these institutions, it has a strong chance of transforming its current instability into a durable and inclusive peace.
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