Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Somalia

Somalia: Land Governance Review [EN/SO]

Attachments

Land governance in Somalia has been marred by decades of conflict, instability, and state incapacity since the collapse of the state in 1991 and the destruction of both judicial and governance authority. The violent capture of land and other critical resources has been integrated into the political economy of warfare. Today, land remains a central point of contention in Somalia's fragmented political landscape and continues as a significant driver of contemporary conflict. Somalia's land governance architecture is a patchwork of unclear and overlapping authorities, overlapping claims to land use, large-scale land grabbing, and unclear land tenure. Understanding contemporary systems of governance is therefore foundational for the country, influencing prospects for statebuilding, peacebuilding, and everyday livelihoods. This report aims to provide an overview of the current state of land governance in Somalia, examining the historical context, hybrid legal framework, and current practices around land ownership, access, and control.