Checkpoints, Ma’awisley and the Political Entrepreneur

Abstract

This report examines the dynamics of checkpoints, or roadblock politics, as a critical lens for understanding Somalia's political economy, with a focus on the Hiraan region. Checkpoints serve as pivotal sites of power and revenue for political entrepreneurs and public authorities, shaping state-society relations and influencing security and governance. The repercussions of the stalled Ma’awisley offensive against Al Shabaab, initiated in Hiraan, have manifested in a proliferation of checkpoints and heightened insecurity, particularly in northern Hiraan, fuelling public protests and exacerbating the restriction of movement.

Checkpoints, which vary from militarized to invisible in nature, reveal the fragility of state-building in Somalia and underscore the need for collaborative reconciliation and power-sharing among Federal, Regional, and local actors. These sites also serve as a political budget for political entrepreneurs to build coercive capacities, sustain militias, and pursue individual political agendas. Drawing on over 30 interviews and field observations, this report situates checkpoint dynamics within the broader framework of sub-national governance and power struggles in Hiraan from 2022 to 2024. It highlights the under-explored relationship between checkpoints and political entrepreneurs, offering insights into the control of mobility as a lens to reassess state formation and the enduring impact of roadblock politics in the Somali context.