Helping resolves disputes through nonviolent communication in Somalia

Decades of conflicts and instability has crippled Somalia’s Judiciary made resolving conflicts with long court processes. This has led to delayed justice for victims.  However, with UN support, communities in Baidoa, the capital of Southwest State of Somalia are now embracing nonviolent ways of resolving their disputes.

When Fartun Abdi Mohamed, returned to her native city of Baidoa in Southwestern Somalia after years of living abroad in Saudi Arabia, she hoped that she had put behind herself all her life troubles.   However, after getting married, she went through one of the most stressful periods in her life undergoing physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her then husband.

Efforts to address her dispute through the courts did not work as the formal judicial process was lengthy. The delays made her approach the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centre in Baidoa, run by the Ministry of Justice of Southwest State of Somalia and supported by the UN’s Joint Justice and Correction Programme (JJCP) with funding from the Somalia Joint Fund (SJF). 

She explained that the elders and the team at the ADR centre took a very friendly approach, were very understanding and offered as listening ear. 

“My case dragged for a year and three months, and I was deeply dissatisfied with the process.  When, I came to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre; I found the process very friendly. I met a group of elders who were very well trained and were willing to listen. The issue was resolved in four days, and I was satisfied with decision,” Said, Fartun. 

After the successful conclusion of the long running dispute, Fartun volunteered to become part of the ADR women network championing to resolve disputes through ADR centre. 

“I am now part of the ADR centre, helping resolve disputes within communities using the nonviolent communication framework training communication which involves listening to both sides without attacking any of the sides involved in a dispute,” Fartun, said. 

The members of the public, polices officers, prosecutors and judges are trained on nonviolent communication which has made resolving disputes and solved long standing cases which in the end plays a role in ensuring that disputes are resolved. 

The programme seeks to promote people centred justice sector reform and service delivery. It supports formal and informal rule of law actors at Federal, Federal Member States, and local levels to design and implement integrative justice solutions through generative dialogues, promotes political dialogue, learning, collection of data, and coordination, facilitating a process towards a people centred and sustainable Somali Justice and Corrections Model.

Since its inception, in July 2023, JJCP which is implemented by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia, the United Nations Development Programme, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime with support from the Somalia Joint Fund, more than 15 trainings attended by around 600 individuals from the public, police, prosecutors and judges were held. 

The Chief Justice of Southwest State of Somalia, Ahmed Ali Muse, says the nonviolent communication training will play a huge role in ensuring that the members of the public co-exist peacefully. 

“The nonviolent communication training enables the society to discuss the challenges they face and resolve disputes without resorting to violence.   The judicial sector in Southwest State now understands how to deploy these skills as all the judges and prosecutors have been trained,”