The Conference of Elders of the Communities of Somaliland in Borama established the institutional foundations of an independent state. More than 2,000 people attended the gathering. The 150-member Guurti – a council of elders drawn from all clans – constituted the voting delegates. In the course of four months, consensus was reached about disarmament and demobilisation following the overthrow of President Mohamed Siyad Barre’s government, inclusive political representation and the creation of institutions – the bedrock of two decades of relative peace and stability.

The personal accounts set out in these pages offer important insights into the experiences of Somalilanders in negotiating peace and building inclusive democratic institutions. In Section 1, the Speakers of the Somaliland Parliament recall the evolution of democratic politics, citing a longstanding history of participatory dispute resolution between clans, the conduct of the Somali National Movement, and adoption of a new constitution by referendum in 2001. Section 2 explores the important function elections fulfil in establishing equitable representation for Somalilanders – and maintaining stability. The emotive debate about the role of women in formal politics is also discussed.

Section 3 focuses on the functioning of parliament. Particular attention is given to the House of Elders –its relationship with the executive and the House of Representatives, and its participation in lawmaking. In Section 4, Somaliland’s Minister for National Planning and Development reflects on his experiences of dealing with international donor organisations, and sets out clear priorities for job creation, revenue generation and infrastructure development. A thoughtful and constructive postscript is contributed by the co-ordinator of the international election observation missions in 2005, 2011 and 2012.

The political and economic achievements outlined in After Borama, the latest publication in Africa Research Institute’s Policy Voices series, should be widely acknowledged and lauded – but not romanticised. For two decades, Somaliland has ploughed its own furrow – through success and setback.

The post Launch of After Borama: Consensus, representation and parliament in Somaliland appeared first on Africa Research Institute.

As chief law reform officer at the Malawi Law Commission, Dr Janet Chikaya-Banda oversaw a two-year constitutional review programme in 2004-6. In her timely account, she explains the importance of continuous, systematic law reform in young democracies and the role that it can play in upholding the credibility and effectiveness of the judiciary. She highlights impediments to the pursuit of democratic ideals articulated in the Malawi Constitution, the consequences of weak institutional commitment to law reform, and the vulnerability of the law in the face of a very powerful presidency. In her foremost recommendation, Dr Chikaya-Banda calls on the new government in Malawi to “move things on” by implementing – or at least debating openly – the recommendations of the constitutional review.  

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The post Lilongwe launch of “Duty of Care: Constitutional and law reform in Malawi” appeared first on Africa Research Institute.

As chief law reform officer at the Malawi Law Commission, Dr Janet Chikaya-Banda oversaw a two-year constitutional review programme in 2004-6. In her timely account, she explains the importance of continuous, systematic law reform in young democracies and the role that it can play in upholding the credibility and effectiveness of the judiciary. She highlights impediments to the pursuit of democratic ideals articulated in the Malawi Constitution, the consequences of weak institutional commitment to law reform, and the vulnerability of the law in the face of a very powerful presidency. In her foremost recommendation, Dr Chikaya-Banda calls on the new government in Malawi to “move things on” by implementing – or at least debating openly – the recommendations of the constitutional review.

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The post Launch of “Duty of Care: Constitutional and law reform, in Malawi” appeared first on Africa Research Institute.

Since 2001, the gacaca community courts have been the centrepiece of Rwanda’s justice and reconciliation process. Nearly every adult Rwandan has participated in the trials, but lawyers are banned from any official involvement. Human rights organisations fiercely opposed the use of gacaca for trying genocide cases, on the grounds that it fell short of international legal standards of fairness. Much criticism reflects legal rigidity towards the unprecedented challenges confronting post-genocide Rwanda – and a limited understanding of the aims of the community courts. Gacaca was inevitably imperfect, but also highly ambitious and innovative. While the full impact of the process will not be apparent for many years, gacaca has delivered benefits to Rwandans in the spheres of justice, truth and democratic participation. Other societies confronting the aftermath of mass conflict could learn much from Rwanda’s approach to local justice. 

The post Launch of How Rwanda judged its genocide by Dr Phil Clark appeared first on Africa Research Institute.

Launch of “Whatever happened to Africa’s rapid urbanisation?” with a presentation by author Dr. Deborah Potts and response from Dr David Cowan of Citibank.  Discussion chaired by Edward Paice.

It is widely believed that urbanisation is occurring faster in sub-Saharan Africa than anywhere else in the world, as migrants move from rural to urban settlements. This is a fallacy. While the populations of numerous urban areas are growing rapidly, the urbanisation levels of many countries are increasing slowly – if at all. Natural increase, rather than net in-migration, is the predominant growth factor in most urban populations. African governments, policymakers and international donors need to acknowledge fundamental changes in urbanisation trends, and respond to the irrefutable messages these impart about urban employment, incomes and economic development. 

The post Launch of “Whatever happened to Africa’s rapid urbanisation?” appeared first on Africa Research Institute.

Somaliland’s maternal, infant, and child mortality rates are among the highest in the world. A rudimentary health system already beset by under-investment and neglect collapsed completely during the final years of a civil war which ended in 1991. Hospitals and clinics were looted or destroyed. Health professionals fled to refugee camps or overseas. In 2001, when Somaliland held a referendum which approved the adoption of a new constitution and confirmed the country’s independence from Somalia, the provision of health care to a population estimated at two to three million remained almost non-existent.

Fouzia Mohamed Ismail was one of the highly-qualified nurses and midwives who returned to Somaliland determined to rebuild their professions. In this timely account, published a decade after the referendum, Fouzia relates what has been done to train a new generation of nurses and midwifes, to improve standards of patient care, to develop relevant training programmes, and to foster regulation of the health sector in Somaliland.

Fouzia is candid about the factors which have hampered the development of accessible and professional health services in Somaliland. Many are common to other post-conflict states in Africa, and elsewhere. She explains, clearly and concisely, the way in which obstacles have been overcome. Consensual decision-making, ingenuity, community and diaspora participation, and the selection of appropriate long-term international partners are among the features of a distinctive strategy to revive the nursing and midwifery professions in Somaliland. For Fouzia, the achievement of Somaliland’s social and economic goals is dependent on improving the health of the nation.

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The post Rebuilding nursing and midwifery in Somaliland Part 1 appeared first on Africa Research Institute.

Somaliland’s maternal, infant, and child mortality rates are among the highest in the world. A rudimentary health system already beset by under-investment and neglect collapsed completely during the final years of a civil war which ended in 1991. Hospitals and clinics were looted or destroyed. Health professionals fled to refugee camps or overseas. In 2001, when Somaliland held a referendum which approved the adoption of a new constitution and confirmed the country’s independence from Somalia, the provision of health care to a population estimated at two to three million remained almost non-existent.

Fouzia Mohamed Ismail was one of the highly-qualified nurses and midwives who returned to Somaliland determined to rebuild their professions. In this timely account, published a decade after the referendum, Fouzia relates what has been done to train a new generation of nurses and midwifes, to improve standards of patient care, to develop relevant training programmes, and to foster regulation of the health sector in Somaliland.

Fouzia is candid about the factors which have hampered the development of accessible and professional health services in Somaliland. Many are common to other post-conflict states in Africa, and elsewhere. She explains, clearly and concisely, the way in which obstacles have been overcome. Consensual decision-making, ingenuity, community and diaspora participation, and the selection of appropriate long-term international partners are among the features of a distinctive strategy to revive the nursing and midwifery professions in Somaliland. For Fouzia, the achievement of Somaliland’s social and economic goals is dependent on improving the health of the nation. 

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The post Rebuilding nursing and midwifery in Somaliland Part 2 appeared first on Africa Research Institute.