Corruption and the Challenges of Good Governance in Somaliland

Abdiaziz Harun Mohamed

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16

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Corruption and the Challenges of Good Governance in Somaliland

Abdiaziz Harun Mohamed^*

Published in Social Sciences (Volume 14, Issue 6)

Received: 4 November 2025 Accepted: 18 November 2025 Published: 26 December 2025

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Abstract

Corruption is commonly defined as the misuse of public office for private gain, and encompasses a range of practices, including bribery, embezzlement, nepotism, patronage, and state capture. In contrast, good governance refers to the transparent, accountable, equitable, and participatory management of a nation’s resources and affairs to promote development and public welfare. This article investigates the nature, causes, and consequences of corruption in Somaliland, highlighting its profound implications for achieving good governance. Drawing on an extensive review of secondary literature, government reports, and empirical evidence, the study situates Somaliland’s experience within the broader governance-corruption nexus characteristic of fragile and hybrid political systems. The findings reveal that corruption in Somaliland is both a manifestation and a driver of weak governance, arising from limited accountability mechanisms, politicized appointments, fiscal opacity, resource constraints, and the enduring influence of clan-based networks. The coexistence of formal and traditional governance institutions further complicates governance, producing to overlapping mandates and blurred lines of accountability. Consequently, corruption erodes public trust, undermines the rule of law, diminishes transparency, and hampers effective service delivery. The study concludes by recommending comprehensive anti-corruption and institutional reform strategies, that emphasize capacity building, fiscal transparency, participatory accountability, and the harmonization of formal and customary governance frameworks as foundational pillars for advancing sustainable good governance in Somaliland.

Published in	Social Sciences (Volume 14, Issue 6)
DOI	10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16
Page(s)	622-628
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Corruption, Good Governance, Institutional Capacity, Accountability Mechanisms, Transparency, Hybrid Governance, Somaliland

References

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APA Style

Mohamed, A. H. (2025). Corruption and the Challenges of Good Governance in Somaliland. Social Sciences, 14(6), 622-628. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16

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ACS Style

Mohamed, A. H. Corruption and the Challenges of Good Governance in Somaliland. Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(6), 622-628. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16

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AMA Style

Mohamed AH. Corruption and the Challenges of Good Governance in Somaliland. Soc Sci. 2025;14(6):622-628. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16

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@article{10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16,
  author = {Abdiaziz Harun Mohamed},
  title = {Corruption and the Challenges of Good Governance in Somaliland},
  journal = {Social Sciences},
  volume = {14},
  number = {6},
  pages = {622-628},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ss.20251406.16},
  abstract = {Corruption is commonly defined as the misuse of public office for private gain, and encompasses a range of practices, including bribery, embezzlement, nepotism, patronage, and state capture. In contrast, good governance refers to the transparent, accountable, equitable, and participatory management of a nation’s resources and affairs to promote development and public welfare. This article investigates the nature, causes, and consequences of corruption in Somaliland, highlighting its profound implications for achieving good governance. Drawing on an extensive review of secondary literature, government reports, and empirical evidence, the study situates Somaliland’s experience within the broader governance-corruption nexus characteristic of fragile and hybrid political systems. The findings reveal that corruption in Somaliland is both a manifestation and a driver of weak governance, arising from limited accountability mechanisms, politicized appointments, fiscal opacity, resource constraints, and the enduring influence of clan-based networks. The coexistence of formal and traditional governance institutions further complicates governance, producing to overlapping mandates and blurred lines of accountability. Consequently, corruption erodes public trust, undermines the rule of law, diminishes transparency, and hampers effective service delivery. The study concludes by recommending comprehensive anti-corruption and institutional reform strategies, that emphasize capacity building, fiscal transparency, participatory accountability, and the harmonization of formal and customary governance frameworks as foundational pillars for advancing sustainable good governance in Somaliland.},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Corruption and the Challenges of Good Governance in Somaliland
AU  - Abdiaziz Harun Mohamed
Y1  - 2025/12/26
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16
DO  - 10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16
T2  - Social Sciences
JF  - Social Sciences
JO  - Social Sciences
SP  - 622
EP  - 628
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2326-988X
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AB  - Corruption is commonly defined as the misuse of public office for private gain, and encompasses a range of practices, including bribery, embezzlement, nepotism, patronage, and state capture. In contrast, good governance refers to the transparent, accountable, equitable, and participatory management of a nation’s resources and affairs to promote development and public welfare. This article investigates the nature, causes, and consequences of corruption in Somaliland, highlighting its profound implications for achieving good governance. Drawing on an extensive review of secondary literature, government reports, and empirical evidence, the study situates Somaliland’s experience within the broader governance-corruption nexus characteristic of fragile and hybrid political systems. The findings reveal that corruption in Somaliland is both a manifestation and a driver of weak governance, arising from limited accountability mechanisms, politicized appointments, fiscal opacity, resource constraints, and the enduring influence of clan-based networks. The coexistence of formal and traditional governance institutions further complicates governance, producing to overlapping mandates and blurred lines of accountability. Consequently, corruption erodes public trust, undermines the rule of law, diminishes transparency, and hampers effective service delivery. The study concludes by recommending comprehensive anti-corruption and institutional reform strategies, that emphasize capacity building, fiscal transparency, participatory accountability, and the harmonization of formal and customary governance frameworks as foundational pillars for advancing sustainable good governance in Somaliland.
VL  - 14
IS  - 6
ER  -

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Abdiaziz Harun Mohamed

Research Affiliate, Institute of Strategic Insights and Research (ISIR), Hargeisa, Somaliland

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Mohamed, A. H. (2025). Corruption and the Challenges of Good Governance in Somaliland. Social Sciences, 14(6), 622-628. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16

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ACS Style

Mohamed, A. H. Corruption and the Challenges of Good Governance in Somaliland. Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(6), 622-628. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Mohamed AH. Corruption and the Challenges of Good Governance in Somaliland. Soc Sci. 2025;14(6):622-628. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16,
  author = {Abdiaziz Harun Mohamed},
  title = {Corruption and the Challenges of Good Governance in Somaliland},
  journal = {Social Sciences},
  volume = {14},
  number = {6},
  pages = {622-628},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ss.20251406.16},
  abstract = {Corruption is commonly defined as the misuse of public office for private gain, and encompasses a range of practices, including bribery, embezzlement, nepotism, patronage, and state capture. In contrast, good governance refers to the transparent, accountable, equitable, and participatory management of a nation’s resources and affairs to promote development and public welfare. This article investigates the nature, causes, and consequences of corruption in Somaliland, highlighting its profound implications for achieving good governance. Drawing on an extensive review of secondary literature, government reports, and empirical evidence, the study situates Somaliland’s experience within the broader governance-corruption nexus characteristic of fragile and hybrid political systems. The findings reveal that corruption in Somaliland is both a manifestation and a driver of weak governance, arising from limited accountability mechanisms, politicized appointments, fiscal opacity, resource constraints, and the enduring influence of clan-based networks. The coexistence of formal and traditional governance institutions further complicates governance, producing to overlapping mandates and blurred lines of accountability. Consequently, corruption erodes public trust, undermines the rule of law, diminishes transparency, and hampers effective service delivery. The study concludes by recommending comprehensive anti-corruption and institutional reform strategies, that emphasize capacity building, fiscal transparency, participatory accountability, and the harmonization of formal and customary governance frameworks as foundational pillars for advancing sustainable good governance in Somaliland.},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Corruption and the Challenges of Good Governance in Somaliland
AU  - Abdiaziz Harun Mohamed
Y1  - 2025/12/26
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16
DO  - 10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16
T2  - Social Sciences
JF  - Social Sciences
JO  - Social Sciences
SP  - 622
EP  - 628
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2326-988X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251406.16
AB  - Corruption is commonly defined as the misuse of public office for private gain, and encompasses a range of practices, including bribery, embezzlement, nepotism, patronage, and state capture. In contrast, good governance refers to the transparent, accountable, equitable, and participatory management of a nation’s resources and affairs to promote development and public welfare. This article investigates the nature, causes, and consequences of corruption in Somaliland, highlighting its profound implications for achieving good governance. Drawing on an extensive review of secondary literature, government reports, and empirical evidence, the study situates Somaliland’s experience within the broader governance-corruption nexus characteristic of fragile and hybrid political systems. The findings reveal that corruption in Somaliland is both a manifestation and a driver of weak governance, arising from limited accountability mechanisms, politicized appointments, fiscal opacity, resource constraints, and the enduring influence of clan-based networks. The coexistence of formal and traditional governance institutions further complicates governance, producing to overlapping mandates and blurred lines of accountability. Consequently, corruption erodes public trust, undermines the rule of law, diminishes transparency, and hampers effective service delivery. The study concludes by recommending comprehensive anti-corruption and institutional reform strategies, that emphasize capacity building, fiscal transparency, participatory accountability, and the harmonization of formal and customary governance frameworks as foundational pillars for advancing sustainable good governance in Somaliland.
VL  - 14
IS  - 6
ER  -

Copy | Download