Somalia has not had a central state apparatus since 1991 and is generally viewed as anarchic and war-torn. This assertion is only true for central and southern Somalia, however. In the northwest, Somaliland declared independence in 1991 and set about building what has become a genuine democracy that enjoys relative peace and stability. The country arrived at its current point through a prolonged peace-building process that was accompanied by measures aimed at strengthening the state. Its peacebuilding process during the 1990s was successful because of five key factors: shared identity, leadership, inclusiveness, local ownership, and innovation rooted in tradition. We can extrapolate several important lessons about how postconflict societies can return to peace and stability from Somaliland's experience.

Read full article here.