Leadership Attitude and Clan-Structure: Lessons for Leadership Practices in Contemporary Post-Conflict Nation Building in Somalia

Abstract

The study analyses the implication of the relationship between leader attitude and Somali Clan-Structure in post-conflict nation-building. The research questions were drawn from a review of relevant literature. Ten subjects were interviewed as a sample to achieve the study objective. Data were thematically analysed using a combination of social identity and reification theories. The results show that clan structure significantly influences Somali leadership attitude in nation-building. The paper argues that since it is clear that the reified clan system exerts a strong unfavourable influence on the future attitudes of Somali leaders towards nation building, the clan structure must be repositioned. Notably, the study discovered that the rise and fall of Siad Barre’s efforts in nation-building relate to the adverse influence of Clan-Structure on the leader’s attitude. As glaringly made clear by this study, attitudes that adversely affected nation-building in Somalia, as depicted by Siad Barre, were dictatorial, nepotistic, egoistic and survivalist. The consequence has been the fragmentation of the Somali political system into clan particularism resulting in a survivalist race and determination of leadership attitude. The study concludes that despite the centrality of Clan-Structure in shaping Somali leaders’ attitudes, there is the necessity for a radical departure towards more constitutional-democratic practice for success in post-conflict nation-building. The study presented some recommendations on reforms in relation to clan structure and leadership attitude towards a more constitutionally relevant PCR.