Regional Security and the Role of IGAD in Somalia

This chapter analyzes IGAD’s role in regional security in the Horn of Africa, with a focus on Somalia. Since 1991, IGAD has been involved in post-conflict stabilization in Somalia through peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and peacekeeping missions. It has coordinated regional efforts toward post-conflict recovery and played a significant role in mediating political reconciliation in Somalia. The chapter examines the interplay between regional powers and international security players in managing regional security. It assesses the genesis of the conflict in Somalia and the successes and failures of IGAD’s intervention. Challenges in peacebuilding, IGAD’s institutional weaknesses, and intra-regional power dynamics are explored. The chapter adopts the ‘regional security complex theory’ framework to understand the complexities of regional security in the Horn of Africa.