Somaliland's peace conferences
Between 1990 and 1997, communities in Somaliland used a cumulative sequence of clan and inter-clan conferences to stop fighting, negotiate security and compensation, transfer political authority, and assemble public institutions. Elders, businesspeople, political leaders, combatants, hosts, women organizers, religious figures, diaspora networks, and local communities made agreements enforceable through existing relationships, while clan representation and elite bargains narrowed direct voice for women, minority groups, and people who rejected the emerging political settlement.
How can communities end reciprocal violence and build enforceable public authority when the state has collapsed, armed organizations are fragmented, and no outside guarantor can impose a settlement?