This programme phase completed a partial Mogadishu district workshop series that began in 2006. SAACID began a second programme phase in October 2008; and completed the workshop series for all districts in January 2009.

The political and social context in which the programme operated in was assessed as complete anarchy; with an Ethiopian military occupation beginning in December 2007 and continuing in Mogadishu thorough to January 2009. The Ethiopian military occupation was backing a UN and Western backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG), which had no legitimacy or support in south or central Somalia.

The occupation was epitomised by an increasingly virulent insurgency that impacted the programme through:

·                 Daily conflict between opposing factions through more-and-more of the city

·                 Assassinations of community leaders that were seen as supportive of the TFG

·                 Systemic lack of law-and-order; signified by a ‘police’ and 'military’ that were significant abusers of the population

In this climate, it was difficult to get all key leaders from each district to attend workshops. There was a continuous and rising fear that attending a workshop would be exploited by TFG and opposition factions to kill selected leaders that were travelling to or from the workshop venues. In reality, no such assassination occurred as a result of attendance at any of the workshops.

With all the problems associated with the occupation and insurgency, the workshops were extremely effective. While a majority of district leaders had little or no know knowledge of basic democratic and governance concepts, there was very high interest in the content of the workshops; and a strong desire by local leaders to arm themselves with information on democracy and governance issues. The workshops were a living focal point for discussions between local leaders in Mogadishu about how Somalia should be governed into the future.

SAACID assessed that there were still a clear majority of local leaders that wanted to be governed through a democratic secular system; but that this notion was increasing challenged by Islamic extremists – who are better funded and supported in their activities at this point in time – including in the core area of governance ideology; and a Western/UN supported theocratic government that has Sharia law as its official legal code. These workshops were very important in keeping the idea of a democratic secular state alive (as opposed to the push for an Islamic theocracy).

SAACID strongly recommends the need for a continuing investment in education in governance and democratic principles. Somalia is increasingly contested over the nature of the Somali state and how it will govern. Previous assumptions that any reconstituted Somali state would govern through a secular state structure are now under systemic threat – with the UN and Western interests now supporting actors that are committed to an Islamic state that governs with Sharia law. It is SAACID’s assessment that there needs to be an increased engagement with local leaders and the population over the principles that any Somali state would be governed by.