75 % of people in Somalia are under the age of 30. The country’s long-lasting civil war has left an entire generation desperate and disillusioned. Volatile politics and a vacuum in security has also created space for violent extremist activity to emerge. Different armed groups, including Al-Shabaab, have been engaged in an ongoing standoff with the government, and have perpetrated a number of attacks over the country – the most notable one being the 2017 Mogadishu bombings which killed at least 587 civilians and injured 316. The military response by the Somali government and the aerial strikes by its allies have resulted in deaths, injuries, and displacement of countless civilians across the country, reinforcing the recognition that a military solution alone will not defeat terrorism in Somalia. 

The Somali Chapter was established in collaboration with Elman Peace to counter the risk of young Somalis joining extremist groups, and to suggest alternative solutions to violence. The chapter organizes a range of activities including workshops on key topics like conflict analysis, community-driven peace, or elections, but also violence and drug prevention advocacy initiatives, and relief activities in refugee camps.