Matt Bryden at CSIS

The 2013 Somali Compact agreed between the Somali Federal Government and international donors set ambitious deadlines for the delivery of a new constitution, electoral laws, and national elections, all by late 2016. Since then, optimism that Somalia’s perpetual transition might be ended has been undermined by the familiar themes of missed targets, political infighting, and volatile security. While Al-Shabaab has been placed on the back foot, it remains a constant threat and public disquiet is building against the AMISOM peacekeeping mission. As the clock ticks down on the SFG’s mandate, Matt Bryden, executive chairman of Sahan Research and author of two recent CSIS reports, Somalia Redux? Assessing the New Somali Federal Government (2013) and The Reinvention of Al-Shabaab (2014), discusses recent developments and offer his thoughts on what the next few months will bring.