Understanding Somalia's social contract and state-building efforts: Consequences for donor interventions

Abstract

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Qatar's foreign aid and political strategies in the Horn of Africa: The case of Somalia

“…The legitimacy of the federal government in Mogadishu, or the perception of its presence, can be reduced if external donors, Qatar in this case, are intervening to provide basic services on behalf of the central government. (Cloutier et al, 2022). As stated by Van de Walle and Scott (2011:7) 'Service provision is an inherently political process, even more so in fragile or state-building contexts'.…”

“…In the multiple overlapping social contract relationships in Somalia, at the national level citizen-state relationship is mediated by de facto authorities from clans, militias and member states while at the transnational level, it is interceded by donor interventions (Cloutier et al, 2022). Qatari interventions are implicated in this political and social framework where humanitarian and development aid implemented by different donors has an impact on political stability.…”

“…Due to the lack of statehood and the presence of a clan‐based system in federal member states, neutral intervention, including aid allocation, is not possible since each entity and organisation belongs to particular clans and religious groups and the involvement of foreign actors threatens the status quo (Marsai & Szalai, 2021). In the multiple overlapping social contract relationships in Somalia, at the national level citizen‐state relationship is mediated by de facto authorities from clans, militias and member states while at the transnational level, it is interceded by donor interventions (Cloutier et al., 2022). Qatari interventions are implicated in this political and social framework where humanitarian and development aid implemented by different donors has an impact on political stability.…”

“…Qatari interventions are implicated in this political and social framework where humanitarian and development aid implemented by different donors has an impact on political stability. The research conducted by the UN University World Institute for Development Economics Research in 2022 has underlined the necessity to limit the competition and fragmentation of support given by donors in the Somali context ‘to avoid strengthening part of the elite at the expense of others or citizens and clans, which ultimately makes the situation more unstable and fragile’ (Cloutier et al., 2022:16).…”