Must Read: New Report on Land Dispossession and Conflict in Mogadishu, Somalia

A photo from Merca (Somali: Marka, Arabic: مركة‎), which "is an ancient port city on the coast of southern Somalia, facing the Indian Ocean. It is the main town in the Shabeellaha Hoose region, and is located approximately 70 km (43 mi) southwest of the nation's capital, Mogadishu." Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

Recent economic development has caused a steep rise in the value of urban real estate in Mogadishu, Somalia. As a result, questions of land tenure and ownership grievances have become a source of new conflict and land dispossession in the country.

To develop a comprehensive understanding of land disputes and of the justice pathways aggrieved parties take, the Expanding Access to Justice (EAJ) carried out research on access to land rights in Mogadishu. The research is captured in the report Pathways and Institutions for Resolving Land Disputes in Mogadishu, which ABA ROLI supported. Key research questions examined the historical background of Mogadishu, and how historical population movements explain the depth and nature of certain contemporary land grievances. In view of the present day land disputes, the research questions focused on the type of justice institutions available to justice seekers, and the justice pathways people or groups of people take in order to seek solutions to their grievance. In addition, the findings in the report explored what constituted vulnerability in the context of land disputes.

The report’s “user perspective” of aggrieved parties elaborates on how they navigate various justice institutions and authorities. Through this perspective, the report also showcases the type of advice and information available to users that will allow them to make informed decisions in the selection of a particular justice institution or authority. Read the full report.


The Expanding Access to Justice (EAJ) program in Somaliland is being implemented by Pact and ABA ROLI, in partnership with local justice organisations and government partners.