THE POSSIBILITY OF AN AL-SHABAAB : FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF SOMALIA NEGOTIATION AS THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE TO PEACE RESOLUTION IN SOMALIA

Sammanfattning:                                                                          Abstract  For nearly thirty years now, Somalia has been in the heat of political and religious crisis that have made the state nearly dysfunctional because of power struggles between the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and the Al-Shabaab militant group. While various peace –inclined strategies have been sought to free up the Somali people, including negotiations and the use of military, neither has proved to be useful in resolving the crisis. Therefore, this study examines the potentiality of holding the negotiations, which seems inevitable as the only lasting solution. Five experts are interviewed to give their perceptions of Somalia's political climate and the potentiality of arriving at a lasting solution. This study finds that negotiations between the two parties cannot happen unless each of their demands has been adhered to in entirety. Secondly, the external bodies and the wider international community have a more significant role in initiating political settlement to create lasting peace for Somalia. However, for the mediators to succeed, the pre-conditions set before the negotiation process needs to be implemented. Therefore, this study argues that a collaborative approach is needed among dispute resolution mechanisms since there seems to be no amicable strategy for an everlasting solution.