Somalia’s Fragmented Logics of Public Authority and Transnational Conflict

Somalia is frequently referred to for its fragmented political and territorial dispensation. The article examines the case of Jubbaland, presented as one of the fragments of public authority within the country’s wider tapestry of political order. The article shows how Jubbaland is itself an ambiguous and fragmented political entity which can also be conceived as a ‘transboundary formation’, constituted by the transborder Ogaden clan linking Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. The article further examines the role of Jubbaland’s dominant political entrepreneur and incumbent President, who has successfully navigated this volatile regional landscape and political marketplace.