Having worked on and studied election processes in Somalia since 2015, I understand the difficulties of conducting successful polls in a context of widespread mistrust, a weak political settlement, and nascent public institutions. A year ago, I saw an opportunity for the adoption of a realistic roadmap to elections, which would have taken two to three years of hard work by the election management body(ies) to conduct elections in Somalia.

Inkastoo ay dowladda federaalka diiradda saartay diblomaasiyadda iyo abaabulka dadweynaha, waxay ay heshiiska iyo qalalaasaha taagan u adeegsan kartaa fursad ay uga shaqeyso midnimo qaran.

While the FGS has so far focused on diplomacy and public mobilization, it can leverage the MoU and the current crisis as a chance to foster domestic unity. The public protests against the MoU, which have extended to parts of Somaliland and the diaspora, can be harnessed to support and bolster broader political reform initiatives.

Dhammaadkii bishii Maarso 2023, Golaha Wasiirada ee Xukuumada Federaalka Soomaaliya ayaa soo saaray amarro dhowr ah, oo ay kamid ahayd dib-u-diiwaangelinta dhammaan bajaajta islamarkaana loo qeybiyo labo qeybood oo ku kallareysan jaalle iyo buluug oo kala leh sumadaha A iyo B. Amarka xukuumadda ayaa sidoo kale lagu hakiyay dhammaan mootooyinka – oo ay ku jiraan bajaajta iyo sidoo kale mootooyinka labada lug leh – in lagasoo dejiyo dekadaha dalka guud ahaan gaar ahaan dekadda Muqdisho.

At the end of March 2023, the Council of Ministers of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) issued a series of directives, which included a directive on re-registration of all tuk-tuks (three-wheeled passenger motorcycles, also known as bajaj) and dividing them into two-color groups – yellow and blue – with the labels A and B respectively. The directive also suspended the importation of all motorcycles – including bajaj as well as two-wheeled motorbikes – from the ports throughout the country and particularly Mogadishu.

In this commentary, I contend that Somalia’s public sector continues to be crippled by a lack of creative ideas and initiatives that are needed to undertake much-needed reforms and address the country’s many policy challenges.