Between State and Non - state SOMALILAND ’ S EMERGING SECURITY ORDER

The self-declared Republic of Somaliland frequently features as a prominent example for ‘autonomous’ processes of peace-building and state-making. Although its population endured civil wars both before and after its unilateral declaration of independence in 1991, this internationally unrecognized de facto state enjoys not only relative peace but also a comparatively high level of overall security two decades later. While these achievements have generally been associated with either its demobilization efforts or the application of traditional mechanisms towards peace and reconciliation, this chapter argues that these factors can only partly account for Somaliland’s relatively stable and secure environment. Despite projects of demobilization and disarmament, military firearms such as Kalashnikov-pattern assault rifles are still pervasive in Somaliland. And although traditional authorities did contribute to reconciliation and peace-building, they have also been key figures in mobilizing (sub-)clans for war. This chapter highlights other mechanisms that have been key for the evolution of Somaliland’s stability. Its central proposition is that the armed conflicts of the early to mid-1990s were constitutive of the polity’s emerging security order. Only thereafter was it possible to incrementally establish a sustainable security framework within the territory. This chapter presents and analyses some key features of the contemporary security order for Somaliland as a whole as well as for particular urban centres. Recent trends in both firearm availability and armed violence are compared over time and with those in other Somali regions. In comparison with urban areas in south-central Somalia, major towns in Somaliland experience fewer attacks by armed groups, lower levels of gun usage, and an overall diminished rate of armed violence and homicides.