SPA Policy Lab

We are delighted to welcome @somalipubagenda @SPAPolicyLab Director Aweis Ahmed (@Aweis_ahmedsom) to the @ChathamHouse Africa Programme as our first @SNForg visiting fellow. Read more: chathamhouse.org/2025/12/new-st…

Pleased to share that our @SPAPolicyLab Director @aweis_ahmedsom joins @ChathamHouse’s Africa Programme (@AfricaProg) as an @SNForg Visiting Fellow and will be based in London for one year. While at Chatham House, Aweis will conduct policy-relevant research on Somalia’s international and regional relations in a shifting global order, with the aim of supporting Somalia’s contributions to global governance. The research outputs will be jointly published by Chatham House and Somali Public Agenda. The fellowship builds on the Chatham House Africa Programme’s success in hosting visiting fellows from Mozambique and Sierra Leone between 2023 and 2025, whose work focused on supporting their countries as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Hay’adaha @SomaliaPdrc & SPA waxa ay billaabayaan tixanaha Maareynta Marxaladda Kala-guurka, oo lagu qaban doono X Spaces. Ujeeddada kulamadan waa in la fududeeyo fahamka aragtiyada ay dhinacyadu ka qabaan arrimaha siyaasadda, gaar ahaan doorashooyinka uu khilaafku ka taagan yahay. Sidoo kale, waxa ay abuurayaan fursad su’aalo lagu weydiin karo, laguna wadaagi karo talooyin iyo aragtiyo. Marka uu dhamaado tixanaha Maareynta Marxaladda Kala-guurka, PDRC & SPA waxa ay diyaarin doonaan warbixin soo koobeysa nuxurka wadahadalladii la yeeshay, taas oo lagu qori doono Af-Soomaali iyo English. Kulanka ugu horreeya waxa marti ku ah masuuliyiin ka tirsan Gurmad Qaran: Guddoomiyihii hore ee Guddiga Madaxa-bannaan ee Doorashooyinka Qaranka, Marwo Xaliima Ismaaciil Ibraahim, iyo xubin ka mid ah khubaradii qortay Dastuurkii 2012, sidoo kalena ahaa la-taliyihii hore ee Madaxweynaha ee arrimaha federaalaynta, Mudane Axmed Cabaas Axmed. Nagu soo biir habeenka Arbacada 9:00 pm. Link-gan isticmaal: x.com/i/spaces/1pkqr…

On April 27, 2026, Somali Public Agenda, @SomaliaPdrc, and @howtobuildpeace held a multi-stakeholder convening in Mogadishu on digital harms in Somalia. The forum brought together participants from the Federal Member States and Mogadishu, including representatives from public institutions, technology experts, researchers, digital rights advocates, journalists, and social media influencers. The forum began with a scene-setting presentation by SPA researcher Ibrahim Jibril. He explained the work that SPA, PDRC, and Build Up are doing to assess and produce research outputs on digital harms in Somalia. A panel discussion addressed key challenges in Somali digital spaces, including the spread of misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, and polarising content on social media platforms. The session also explored the impact of these digital harms on social and political life offline. Moderated by Mohamed Hajir, the panellists were Mohammed Hirmoge, Media & Communications Expert; Farah Omar, FESOJ Secretary-General; Mohamed Salh, an independent journalist and social media influencer; and Nura Abdi, Communications Lead at PDRC. The forum concluded with a roundtable discussion, where participants discussed policy gaps and existing legal frameworks and offered recommendations. There was a broad consensus on the importance of developing clear rules and regulatory measures to address digital harms across social media platforms. #SomaliPublicAgenda #DigitalHarm #Somalia

𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗼 𝗞𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗮 𝗗𝗮𝗸𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗵𝘂𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗮 𝗲𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗮 𝗛𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗴𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗮 𝗖𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗮𝗱𝗼? | 𝗔𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗴 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗮𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 Degmada Cadaado waxa ay ka mid tahay degmooyinkii ugu horreeyay ee Dowlad-goboleedka Galmudug oo maamul iyo hay’ado shaqeeya yeesha. Dowaldda hoose ee degmadu waxa ay qaaddaa canshuur kala duwan, si ay adeegyo kala duwan ugu qabato. Hase ahaatee, maamulka degmada ayaanan soo xareeyn canshuur ku filan, sababo kala duwan awgood. Somali Public Agenda ayaa dhawaan daabacday daraasad ku saabsan “Sida loo kordhin karo Dakhliga Canshuuraha Dowladda Hoose ee Degmada Cadaado?” ayadoo la adeegsanayo habka cilmibaaris ee loo yaqayaanno Local Strategies Research (LSR) iyo hannaanka Evidence-Based Policy Design. Qeybtan 43-aad ee Adeeg Wanaag Podcast, @Aweisade, agaasimaha @SPAPolicyLab, iyo @FarhiaMohamuud oo ah cilmibaare ka tirsan Somali Public Agenda sidoo kalena hormuud u aheyd cilmibaarayaasha daraasadaas, waxa ay ku falanqeynayaan nuxurka daraasaddaas iyo waxyaabihii lagu ogaaday. #SPAPodcasts #Adado #Galmudug youtu.be/zVULXez0RO0?si…

NEW COMMENTARY I Contested Rules, Contested Legitimacy: Somalia’s Constitutional and Electoral Conundrum In this commentary, our Executive Director, @MahadWasuge, examines a critical question: Which constitution is legitimate—the Provisional Federal Constitution or the recently amended version? He also explores how this dispute could shape Somalia’s upcoming electoral process. Read the full commentary: somalipublicagenda.org/contested-rule…

Read the first of our Occasional Paper Series here⤵️

Our Executive Director, @MahadWasuge, attended the @SomaliREN Annual Council Meeting and Annual Leaders’ Retreat, held in Nairobi on February 14–15, 2026. The conference brought together 31 member institutions—29 universities and two research institutions—to review SomaliREN’s 2025 performance and plans for 2026. Findings from the SomaliREN Higher Education e-Readiness Assessment Report were also presented and discussed. In addition to member institutions, representatives from other research and education networks from Kenya (Kenya Education Network), Uganda (Research and Education Network for Uganda), and Tanzania (Tanzania Education and Research Network) presented their structures and shared their work with SomaliREN member institutions. Collaboration in research among universities and research institutions was also discussed during the meeting. SPA officially joined the network in May 2024 and actively contributed to the two-day deliberations.

Casharrada Laga Baran Karo Doorashooyinkii Dhacay 1954 ilaa 1969 Qeybtan 66-aad ee Maamul Wanaag Podcast, @MahadWasuge & Avv. Maxamed Ciise Turunji ayaa isla gorfeynaya casharrada laga baran karo doorashooyinkii dhacay muddadii u dhaxaysay 1954 & 1969. youtu.be/5vIJdpYSjGc?si…

2025 was another productive year for @somalipubagenda. We are grateful to our donors and partners for trusting us with their support, enabling us to continue contributing to the improvement of governance in Somalia.

2025 was a record-breaking year across our programmes! 📄 We published 23 research and analytical papers — our highest ever. 🤝 We convened 31 forums, both in person (Nairobi, Mogadishu, Kismayo, Garowe, Bosaso, Qardho, Dhusamareb, and Adado) and online, engaging 1,300+ participants. 🎓 We trained 73 trainees, primarily youth, in research and writing. 🎙️ We released 36 podcast episodes, reaching hundreds of thousands of listeners. 📘 Read our 2025 Annual Report here: 🔗 somalipublicagenda.org/annual-report-…

Adado, December 3, 2025: @Aweisade, Director of the @SPAPolicyLab, and @FarhiaMohamuud, a researcher at SPA, delivered a guest lecture at an event hosted by Galmudug State University in the Adado District of Galmudug State, Somalia. The lecture focused on sharing research experiences across academia and policy research. Both Aweis and Farhia delivered insightful and engaging presentations that enriched the session. The event was well attended by students, faculty members, and administrative staff, all of whom contributed to a lively, meaningful, and productive discussion. #SomaliPublicAgenda

𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗜 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗣𝗙𝗠) 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮 (𝗙𝗚𝗦) 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 (𝗙𝗠𝗦) This study examines how Somalia’s public finance systems have evolved since 2012 and how these reforms have affected revenue collection, public spending, transparency, and relations between the federal and state governments. The findings show that while Somalia has made notable progress—particularly in meeting donor-driven targets—the fiscal system remains fragile and heavily dependent on external pressure and support. Read the full research report here: somalipublicagenda.org/examining-the-…

The Director of @SPAPolicyLab at @somalipubagenda, @Aweisade, attended a conference on the theme “Africa's Rising Influence: Advancing Agency in Foreign Policy and Global Governance,” organized by @AfricaProg in partnership with @africa_amani and UNDP. The conference, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the 5th and 6th of November, examined how Africa can assert greater strategic influence across a rapidly evolving global landscape. The SPA Policy Lab Director also took part in a private roundtable discussion on “Strengthening the Role of Think Tanks in Foreign Policy Formation.” The roundtable brought together distinguished leaders from think tanks across Africa and the world, as well as individuals engaged in African affairs.

📖Read a short blog on the impact of SPA’s research and advocacy efforts, and how we have amplified the voices of IDPs and supported minority and marginalized displacement-affected communities. 🔗 somalipublicagenda.org/from-research-…

SPA team members attended the East African Community Conference (#EACON2025) held in Mogadishu on 7–8 October. Our researcher @FarhiaMohamuud moderated the first panel on Somalia’s journey toward full integration into the East African Community (EAC). The discussion explored the legal frameworks, institutional readiness, and economic dimensions of Somalia’s integration process. Panelists included Dr. Abdisalam H. Omar, Presidential Special Envoy for the EAC; Mohamed Isak Fatir, Director General of EAC Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Lee C. Sorensen, Team Leader / Senior Expert, Support to EU–Somali Dialogue on Investment and Trade, Cowater International; Björn Richter, GIZ Cluster Coordinator for the East African Community (EAC); and Dr. Felix Otieno Odhiambo, Lecturer at the Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya.

On 28 September, our Executive Director, @MahadWasuge, participated as a panelist in a forum on power allocation among the different levels of government as part of the constitutional review process. The forum, held at the Jazeera Hotel in Mogadishu, was organized by the constitutional review bodies. Mahad emphasized the political culture of leaders at both the federal government and federal member state levels, who often seek greater executive powers for the level of government they lead, with limited intention of ensuring fairness and balance in power allocation discussions. He also highlighted the lack of local government representation in these discussions. The majority of forum participants were youth of both genders. Other panelists included Mohamed Mukhtar, Country Director of Laasfort Consulting Group, and Feysal Adan, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

This @newhumanitarian article on urban displacement quotes our @SPAPolicyLab Director, @aweisade: “Claims of land ownership by clans and limited government capacity make it difficult to integrate IDPs within the local community.” thenewhumanitarian.org/2025/08/20/wea…

NEW POLICY PAPER | Bridging Divides: Options for Resolving Somalia’s FGS–FMS Disputes, Constitutional Review & Elections With @SomaliaPdrc & @hbsHornOfAfrica, we present options to address 3 contentious political issues in #Somalia. Read more 👉 somalipublicagenda.org/bridging-divid…

Read our latest policy paper with @SomaliaPdrc on three contentious political issues in #Somalia