Somalia works: Police development as state-building

Hills, Alice

Abstract

Somalia is an exceptionally insecure state that nevertheless offers an arena in which police officers and institutions can – and do – function. This article argues that Somalia's three regional police forces offer insight into the dynamics that result when locally driven institution-building projects interface with international state-building projects. The resultant picture is nuanced because police negotiate with private actors even as they develop their state-based authority, and their achievements are limited by Somali power brokers sharing a political understanding of security provision, valuing external assistance as a business opportunity, and adapting international models of governance accordingly. Consequently, while the prospects for institution building are favourable, stabilization is unlikely to shift into state building or development.

Citation

Hills, A. (2014). Somalia works: Police development as state-building. African Affairs, 113(450), 88-107. https://doi.org/10.1093/afraf/adt068

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Jan 6, 2014
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2014
• Deposit Date: Jun 29, 2013
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 21, 2014
• Journal: African Affairs
• Print ISSN: 0001-9909
• Electronic ISSN: 1468-2621
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 113
• Issue: 450
• Pages: 88-107
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/afraf/adt068
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1473178