By Towfik Elmi and Abdulkadir Salah
Introduction
This proposal offers a strategic framework for establishing a new federal state in Somalia, provisionally named the Northeast State of Somalia. The primary aim is to address the ongoing governance vacuum and territorial disputes within the Sanaag, Sool, and Buhoodle regions. By instituting an administrative structure that mirrors local sociopolitical contexts, this initiative seeks to elevate equity, bolster legitimacy, and foster enduring stability within Somalia’s federal system.
Background
The roadmap toward the merger of the SSC-Khaatumo and Maakhir administrations has been long, painful, and arduous, shaped by years of consultations, communal conferences, and political mobilization. In August 2024, the first consultative conference at a national level was held in Mogadishu. Titled, Shirwaynaha Wadatashiga Siyaasiyiinta & Aqoonyahanka, convened Maakhir scholars, elders, and leadership from the executive and legislative branches of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
The conference released a number of resolutions and established the Maakhir Political and Security Committee. Abdirahman Dhore was elected as its president/chairman and tasked with undertaking an extensive consultation process throughout the Maakhir regions, namely Sanaag and Haylaan. His primary mission involved engagement with traditional elders, civil society organizations, women leaders, and other key stakeholders to lay the groundwork for a formal self-determination conference.
Towfik Elmi and Abdulkadir Salah
Email: towfik.elmi@gmail.com