Dialoguing and negotiating with Al-Shabaab: The role of clan elders as insider-partial mediators

Since 2015, Al-Shabaab and the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) have been locked in a violent and protracted stalemate. There is little momentum to pursue a political settlement, with Al-Shabaab rejecting any overtures of dialogue. How can Al-Shabaab’s intransigent stance be softened? Clan elders – as insider-partial mediators in Somalia – are recognised as credible interlocutors and facilitators possessing locally sourced legitimacy and perceived integrity. Often used by warring parties in Somalia as trustworthy intermediaries for local issues, their capability in facilitating an end to the stalemate between Al-Shabaab and the FGS has been largely ignored. Drawing on empirical illustrations and key interviews with clan elders and Al-Shabaab defectors, this article maps Somalia’s perceived stalemate and explores the different local capacities (e.g., guarantors, hostage negotiators, humanitarian delivery negotiators) clan elders have brought to the table when dealing with Al-Shabaab and FGS, and presents how clan elders, as credible interlocutors and mediators, can establish pre-negotiations (initial ripeness) with Al-Shabaab and the FGS and progress to direct negotiations (ripeness).