Counterterrorism and state-building in Somalia: Progress or more of the same?

For years, the war-torn and famine-ravaged Somalia has been a haven for international terrorism, as demonstrated again in the recent horrific attack in Garissa, Kenya. International counterterrorism efforts – ranging from air strikes to proxy wars to the deployment of African Union forces – have provided limited results at best. International efforts to build more inclusive and less corrupt state institutions in Somalia have similarly struggled. While Somalia has set goals to reform its government and revise its constitution by 2016, most of these commitments remain in grave doubt. And as Somalia prepares for national elections in the year ahead, insecurity within the country continues to rise.

On May 21, the Africa Security Initiative, part of Brookings Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence, hosted a discussion on the current state of Somalia, its path to reform and increased stability, and its upcoming elections. Senior Fellow Vanda Felbab-Brown, who recently returned from Somalia, focused on the political and military developments in the country and region, as well as the latest on extremist activity. Michael O’Hanlon, co-director of the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence moderated.

Note: This event marks the launch of the Africa Security Initiative at Brookings. Among the Brookings scholars who will contribute to the project are Michael O’Hanlon, Vanda Felbab-Brown, and a number of scholars from Brookings’ Africa Growth Initiative as well as from other research institutions including St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. This initiative builds on past research and events, including hosting the President of Somalia in 2014.