Somalia’s eight-year transition period officially ended on 20 August 2012, bringing to a close the TFG and its fractious parliament. Though the roadmap to transition process has been welcomed outside Somalia it was largely forced through by external actors. This carries the risk of isolating dissenting Somali voices, including those who may try to disrupt the new political ...» more
Library
This e-library contains more than 4500 external publications on governance, social development, conflict and humanitarian issues. It includes academic and grey literature selected for its basis in good quality research and coverage of a range of perspectives. Policy-oriented summaries of each document are provided, plus links to the full text.
Building a Political Settlement: The International Approach to Kenya’s 2008 Post-Election Crisis
This study’s main findings indicate that in the 2008 post-election period the international development and diplomatic communities collectively commanded substantive influence over the nature and trajectory of Kenya’s evolving political settlement. It argues that these actors enhanced their influence over many important political issues principally as a result of applying good ...» more
The Protection of Civilians: An Evolving Paradigm?
Despite the enormous growth in opportunities for interaction between militaries and humanitarians there is only a very limited literature on their interaction over protection issues and evaluations of the emerging doctrines. Consequently this article charts the growth in military policies towards POC in the UN, UK, NATO and a range of other states as well as drawing attention ...» more
Lights, Camera, Jihad: Al-Shabaab’s Western Media Strategy
While the threat that al-Shabaab poses to the West can easily be overstated, its outreach to Muslims living in Europe and the United States has been successful relative to other al-Qaeda-linked groups and warrants exploration. The organisation has recruited dozens of foreign fighters from the West. It also holds the dubious distinction of being the first jihadist organisation ...» more
The Two Faces of Security in Hybrid Political Orders: A Framework for Analysis and Research
This paper reframes the security and development debate through fresh theoretical lenses, which view security as highly contested both in the realm of politics and in the realm of ideas. For some analysts security concerns political power, including the use of organised force to establish and maintain social orders and to protect them from external and internal threats. For ...» more