Author: Casey Kuhlman

“We need to harmonize the three legal systems. You know, we have here in Somaliland the traditional system, the shariah system, and the courts. Each of which does their own thing and this is a problem for us.” I was sitting at dinner with a potential client in May of 2008 when I had been in Hargeisa only a couple of days when I first heard this lecture. I heard a similar version of the same lecture less than a month ago. I didn’t really buy it in 2008 and I definitely didn’t buy in last month. But that is less important than the other question: why didn’t I buy it? Read more if you’re interested.

We are asking everyone we know via social and traditional media where the problems for increasing investment in the Somali region. Here’s why.

We have done much work recently assisting in capacity building efforts for traditional leaders involved in dispute resolution. As a firm, it is important to us that these individuals receive as much support as possible. We have spent a lot of time listening to their stories and helping them to identify the challenges that lie before them. Below is one theory that we have been slowly building. It takes many of our formal and informal interviews with conflict resolution practitioners and traditional leaders and builds in some of our own background in this area.

Today many of the world leaders came together to speak about Somalia. The focused attention should continue the iterations towards a peaceful and sustainable future for the Somali region. Click through for more on our take.

For a while now I have been hoping to start an annotated readings series, I hope you enjoy this small departure. The first presentation is a Meeting Report from a Chatham House meeting last sumemr of various Somali diaspora and policy makers to discuss the follow-on actions when the TFG’s mandate expires in August of 2012. The report is a VERY good report and we have the highest regard for the work Chatham House is doing on Somalia. Please let us know if you like or dislike this annotated readings and if you have any ideas for improving that would be helpful. 

Beginning to give our thoughts on how the Somali piracy could be address, this entry begins the discussion. Please click through and add your voice to the discussion.

In this entry, we develop a relatiively straight-forward framework for thinking about the power of a particular governing entity. By working through our four question framework it will prove much easier to determine the power of a given entity.

The business fair took place earlier this week and was a gigantic success. Our deepest respect and admiration for the organizers of this event. Watershed participated in the event as the only law firm in Somaliland to do so. We had a booth and numerous informational brochures click through to see more.

Tonight Watershed Vice President for Somaliland, Hassan Farah Mohamed, was the first lawyer who had the courage to speak on Somaliland national television regarding the legal issues which underscore the recently proposed amendments to the Political Parties Act. I have not yet had a chance to find out from him the substance of his talk, but here are my thoughts regarding the amendments.