“If the international community really wants Somalia’s transitional government to be successful they must support the weak coalition government to a far greater degree. After spending several days with seven ministers from the Somali, we clearly see how important it is that not only non-governmental organizations working in the area receive more support, but also the government”, says the special advisor at the Oslo Center, Øistein Mjærum.

Despite many challenges, let alone the problems concerning security and corruption, there are also some gleams of hope. The country has got its first national budget in a long time, and the new constitution is now under preparation.

“The Oslo Center’s contribution is advising the weak government on how to work in a coalition government, and how it can organize its work in the best possible way. It requires great personal courage to be a minister in contemporary Somalia. Ten percent of the ministers have sacrificed their lives so far”, says Mjærum.

The Oslo Center’s project in Somalia is carried out in cooperation with the National Democratic Institute and supported with funds from the Norwegian government.