At the end of the transition period, Somalia is going nowhere – slowly

Somaliland, on the other hand, still fancies itself an independent state, having declared unilateral independence in the early 1990s and having managed to uphold relative peace under a democratic dispensation since.

Nonetheless, it remains unrecognised by any member of the international community. The current transition process looks to be on no stronger a footing than those that have preceded it.

Going forward, Somalia will need to couple the efforts from its regional neighbours and the support of the international community with a genuine will to get things done.

In so doing, it must engage all the stakeholders involved such that a legitimate process of transition can take place. This will need to happen alongside a programme of stabilising the country. Until then, it seems that Somalia will continue to be going nowhere slowly.

Ms Otto is a researcher with the South African Foreign Policy and African Drivers Programme (SAFPAD) at the South African Institute for International Affairs in Johannesburg.