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The Somaliland House of Elders (Guurti) decline stems from its transition from a grassroots peace building body to a stagnant legislative relic.
Originally hailed for their traditional legitimacy, peace building efforts and uniting the nation during the 1990s, the Guurti have lost their moral standing due to a lack of turnover; many seats are now inherited, detaching the house from the modern electorate.
Today, the Guurti functions primarily as a political safety valve. Because they hold the power to grant term extensions, an interest they have, since such extensions also prolong their own unending terms. They remain invisible during routine governance and mainly emerge to provide legal cover when elections are delayed.
By prioritising the status quo over democratic renewal, they have traded their role as wise mediators for that of institutional facilitators, making them relevant only when the political clock needs to be paused.
The decline of the Guurti, has become increasingly evident in the Somaliland political landscape, signaled most notably by their loss of influence over national mediation and peace building.
For decades, the people of Somaliland viewed the Guurti as the primary custodians of peace and the essential mediators within a clan-based society. However, the current government’s decision to appoint a separate Committee of Peace effectively stripping the Guurti of its core traditional mandate marks a significant shift in power. Perhaps more telling than the appointment itself is the Guurti’s silence; by failing to protest or challenge this new committee, they have tacitly admitted their own inability to fulfill the role that once defined their relevance.
Further compounding this loss of status is the perceived absence of the Guurti during times of national crisis. While the country faces significant conflicts in its eastern and western regions, fueled by external interference, the Guurti appears to be on a perpetual hiatus. This lack of urgency during a critical period suggests a detachment from the very stability they were established to protect.
This stagnation is not limited to the Guurti, as the legislative, executive, and judicial branches all show signs of decay that threaten the foundation of the state.
To preserve the progress made since regaining sovereignty nearly thirty-five years ago, comprehensive reform across all governing bodies is no longer optional but a necessity. The current institutional decline is actively eroding the country’s hard-won stability and blocking future growth.
While the Guurti have served with dignity and bore immense responsibility during the nation’s most critical turning points earning the enduring gratitude of the Somaliland people, the institution now stands at a crossroads. Without a fundamental restructuring of these entities, the resulting systemic stagnation threatens to erode the nation’s integrity and reverse the hard-won democratic progress achieved over the last thirty years.
The legacy of their past service, though deeply respected, cannot shield the country from the urgent need for reform to ensure that future governance remains dynamic and accountable to the evolving needs of its citizens.
About the Author
Dariq Madar is a UK-based professional specialising in East African political and economic trends, with a strong passion for the region’s growth. He is dedicated to analysing its complex dynamics and evolving global relationships in order to remain at the forefront of its development.
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, or viewpoints of Somaliland Chronicle, and its staff.
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