Gedo, Jubbaland and the Translocal Marehan

State fragmentation, identity politics and regional reconfigurations in the Somali territories

Authors: Nisar Majid and Khalif Abdirahman

Processes of state fragmentation have become more evident in Somalia in recent years, reflecting both national and sub-national factors as well as their intersection with regional and global dynamics. Gedo region – and its dominant Marehan clan constituency – provides one such example, with its ongoing and ambiguous incorporation into the Federal Member State of Jubbaland.

The report highlights the importance of understanding territoriality – the relationship between identity and territory – in processes of state fragmentation. Under current conditions, Gedo’s position within Jubbaland is likely to remain fluid, fractured and subject to outbreaks of localised conflict. Only when Marehan political elites embark on a serious dialogue process with respect to Gedo, involving not only their own clan constituencies but other clans in the region, will Gedo itself become a more coherent political entity; this is not a scenario that the leadership in Kismayo or Mogadishu appear to be working towards as both compete for control of Gedo region.

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