Building a prosperous and free Somalia through the Rule of Law‏

As Dwight D. Eisenhower said: “The clearest way to show what the rule of law means to us in everyday life is to recall what has happened when there is no rule of law.”

Over the past few years several African states have emerged from devasting civil war and the breakdown of civil institutions. Like Somalia, they have embarked on a programme of rebuilding, fully conscious that the freedom and prosperity of their citizens rests ultimately on success in embedding the rule of law.

The long and brutal tragedy of Somalia’s history over recent decades makes us particularly conscious that this will play a crucial role in the success or otherwise of our continued reconstruction.

Fundamentally, I see investing in the rule of law as meaning drafting good constitutions, reforming laws and courts to embed an independent judiciary, empowering citizens, ensuring equality and access and justice for all, regulating for fair access to markets and services and promoting fiscal regimes that encourage foreign direct investment. Of course, we have a long way to go with many challenges to surmount. But we are making progress. After 30 years of civil war, Somalia is committed to embedding a democratically elected government that is inclusive, both politically and geographically. Moreover, we are proud that of our parliament’s 275 MPs, 67 are women, and we seek to increase this representation.

However, this commitment to democracy needs to be supported by rebuilding the economy in a way that will allow every citizen to share the benefits of economic success.

To this end, the Somali Government has embarked on a series of legislative reforms as part of its commitment to sharing its wealth with every citizen. In 2018 the Government announced a landmark revenue sharing agreement ensuring a fair and equitable sharing of Somalia’s existing and potential mineral and natural resources amongst all Somali citizens.