Somalia rising

Abstract

This article examines some of the challenges facing the new Somali National Government in Mogadishu, following the conclusion of the Transitional Federal Charter, and the resulting surprises in the emergence of the post-Transitional leadership. The article also assesses the dynamics which allowed the emergence of relative newcomers into important roles, especially President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. A sense of optimism surrounds the Mogadishu administration, which is a marked departure from the previous two decades; is it justified? Will it be sustained?