Neither Inevitable nor Accidental

Abstract

The lack of inclusion in Somali society has a profound effect on the vulnerability of certain groups. According to the UN Somalia Accountability Project, certain groups, especially the Rahanweyn clan and Bantu Somalis, were severely, and disproportionately, affected by the droughts of 1991–1992 and 2011–2012. It is highly likely that they have also borne the brunt of the 2016–2017 drought. This chapter argues for the importance of understanding the political economy of protection and its failures. It calls for humanitarian, recovery, and stabilization activities to take proper account of forces that marginalize certain groups and action to avoid exacerbating such vulnerabilities. The complexities of grievances in Somalia mean that exclusion must be addressed if genuine peace and reconciliation are to be achieved.