Somali Interior Ministry Official Co-Chairs Somalia Stability Fund Technical Steering Committee

MOGADISHU – The Director General of Somalia’s Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation, Abdulkadir Elmi Ali, co-chaired the Technical Joint Steering Committee meeting of the Somalia Stability Fund (SSF) together with FCDO Development Director Chris Pycroft, bringing together representatives from the Federal Government, Federal Member States, Banadir Regional Administration, SSF, FCDO, and development partners to review and deliberate on the Year Four work plans of the Somalia Stability Fund.

The gathering included representatives from the Federal Government, Federal Member States, Banadir Regional Administration, SSF, FCDO, and development partners to review and deliberate on the Year Four work plans of the Somalia Stability Fund.

Ministry Presents Year Four Priorities

The Ministry presented its Year Four work plan during the meeting, outlining key priorities for the upcoming year, such as strengthening reconciliation processes, supporting local governance, expanding civil registration and population visibility, improving coordination in newly liberated areas, and fostering social cohesion through inclusive community engagement. Discussions centered on ensuring that Year Four priorities align with national priorities, local needs, and the lived realities of Somali communities.

The Somalia Stability Fund has been instrumental in supporting peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts across the country. Through its Phase III program, the SSF commissioned the Heshiis Beeg, a participatory research tool designed to establish a rigorous evidence base for work on peacebuilding, reconciliation, social cohesion, resilience, and stability. The tool collected perspectives from 1,648 randomly selected Somalis from six pilot districts in Puntland and Southwest State, measuring challenges Somali communities face and the endogenous resilience they have developed.

Civil Registration and Population Visibility

Expanding civil registration and population visibility has been a major focus of the Ministry. Minister of Interior Ali Yusuf Ali Hosh was recently briefed by the Directorate General of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics regarding advancements in civil registration services and the implementation of Somalia’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system. The system is designed to register all births, deaths, marriages, and other vital events, representing a critical component of the government’s efforts to establish a functional national identification framework.

Minister Hosh previously chaired the Third Annual National Steering Committee Meeting on CRVS in Mogadishu, convening senior representatives from key federal ministries and government agencies to review progress on the national CRVS strategy. Hosh emphasized that a functional and inclusive CRVS system is essential for securing citizens’ rights, improving service access, and supporting national development.

The Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Law mandates that all residents of Somalia be registered regardless of their status or location. Full implementation of the law remains a medium-term objective, with the government aiming to achieve significant coverage milestones before the end of the current parliamentary term.

Local Governance and Mayors Forum

The Ministry’s focus on local governance has been demonstrated through recent high-level engagements. The Third Somalia Mayors Forum recently commenced in Mogadishu, with Interior Minister Ali Yusuf Ali Hosh opening the two-day gathering at the Jazeero Hotel. Speaking at the opening session, Minister Hosh emphasized that mayors and district administrations remain at the forefront of responding to challenges affecting communities across Somalia, including drought, displacement, climate-related shocks, resource disputes, and local conflicts.

“Empowering local governments is not a policy choice; it is the foundation of service delivery, development and democratic participation,” the minister said.

Background of the Somalia Stability Fund

The Somalia Stability Fund was established to support local stability, legitimate authorities, and basic services for people living in stable and recovering areas of Somalia. The Fund’s approach focuses on enabling the delivery of immediate and sustainable benefits to ordinary Somali people in safety and security, economic opportunities, and basic services while promoting effective and accountable local administrations.

The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment as the government coordinating body to collaborate closely with FCDO, SSF, Federal and State institutions, the Banadir Regional Administration, donors, and all relevant stakeholders to ensure smooth coordination and effective implementation in the year ahead.

National Transformation Plan and Reconciliation Framework

The design of the SSF’s Heshiis Beeg initiative is based on Somalia’s National Reconciliation Framework (NRF) and National Transformation Plan (NTP) 2025-2029, both in terms of its core research questions and the indicators selected. More than a hundred leaders, civil society members, and officials at district, state, and federal levels were first engaged to design the research, select indicators, direct analysis, and validate findings.

Minister Hosh officially handed over digital civil registration equipment to local authorities in Las Anod, marking a major milestone in efforts to institutionalize civil documentation services in newly established administrative regions. The handover included biometric registration kits, data management tools, and technical support systems tailored to operate in remote or under-resourced areas.

International Partnerships for Civil Registration

The Ministry has been actively pursuing international partnerships to strengthen civil registration and national identification systems. Somalia reached wide-ranging agreements with Pakistan to expand collaboration on digital identity infrastructure, with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) playing a key role in assisting Somalia to operationalize the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA).

Minister Hosh also chaired a high-level meeting with Banadir leaders to fast-track national identification and civil registration efforts across the capital, with discussions centered on securing registration sites, protecting citizens’ data, and ensuring seamless cooperation between institutions.

Way Forward

As the Ministry of Interior continues to serve as the government coordinating body for the SSF, its focus on reconciliation, local governance, civil registration, and community engagement remains central to Somalia’s state-building agenda. The Technical Joint Steering Committee’s endorsement of the Year Four work plans paves the way for implementation across federal and state levels in the coming year.