Looma Dhama

The civil war in Somalia has severely affected the diversity of Somalia's cities. Having once been inclusive, they became dominated by certain clans, causing some groups to feel excluded from rights, resources, power, or political life. This chapter explores the role of inclusivity in Somali elite bargains and political settlements, and how inclusivity — treated as a universal concept in the peace-building literature — may need to be contextualized in the Somali setting to fully appreciate its importance in Somali discourse and politics. The chapter considers the question of ethnic or clan inclusion/exclusion, while recognizing that there are many other types of exclusion, most notably along gender lines, that merit attention. Specifically, it focuses on inclusion and exclusion with regard to rights and access to resources and security in major Somali cities.