Evidence-Based Recommendations for Replicating a Successful Community-Led Security Model to Counter Ciyaal Weero Gangs.
Executive Summary
The rise of Ciyaal Weero youth gangs in Mogadishu represents a critical threat to security, economic stability, and social cohesion. Traditional, top-down security responses have proven insufficient. However, a series of community consultative forums in the districts of Karaan, Dharkenley, and Bondheere have successfully piloted a community-led security model that has already yielded measurable results. This brief presents this model as a national policy recommendation. The key to its success is bridging the trust deficit between citizens and the state by formalizing collaboration. This approach directly addresses the gang crisis while building the foundational resilience needed for long-term stability.
The Challenge: Ciyaal Weero and the Trust Deficit
Mogadishu’s youth gang crisis is fueled by unemployment, a lack of opportunity, and a profound breakdown in trust between communities and government institutions. This environment allows gangs to operate with impunity, engaging in armed robbery, extortion, and drug trafficking. A purely punitive state response is ineffective without the active cooperation and intelligence of the community, which has been historically withheld due to mistrust and a lack of formal channels for cooperation.
The Proven Solution: The Community-Led Security Model
SAARO ARTS’ forums acted as a catalyst, creating a neutral space for dialogue between community elders, youth, women, religious leaders, and local government/police officials. From this dialogue, a concrete, actionable framework emerged and was implemented, leading to three key outcomes:
- The Launch of Police-Community Safety Committees:These formal committees institutionalize collaboration, creating a permanent channel for information sharing, joint problem identification, and coordinated action planning between law enforcement and residents.
- The Mobilization of Community Vigilance Networks:Grassroots networks were established to proactively identify and address emerging threats, monitor teenage activities, and report suspicious behavior to the Safety Committees, acting as the “eyes and ears” of the community.
- The Catalyzation of a Community-Driven Safety Strategy:This joint effort moved beyond discussion to action, resulting in a coordinated strategy owned by the community itself.
Documented Impact
The implementation of this model has directly contributed to a measurable drop in local crime and youth gang activity in the pilot districts. This success demonstrates that when communities are empowered as partners in their own security, the cycle of violence and impunity can be broken.
Policy Recommendations for Scaling Success
To replicate this success across Mogadishu and other affected regions, the following policy actions are recommended:
- Institutionalize the Community Policing Model:
- Action:The Ministry of Internal Security and Banadir Regional Administration should issue a directive to formally establish and fund Police-Community Safety Committees in every district of Mogadishu.
- Rationale:This moves the successful pilot from an ad-hoc project to a standard operating procedure, ensuring sustainability and clear lines of communication.
- Fund and Legitimize Community Vigilance Networks:
- Action:Provide formal recognition and minimal operational support (e.g., communication tools) to registered community vigilance networks, linking them directly to the Safety Committees.
- Rationale:This legitimizes community efforts, protects volunteers, and integrates local knowledge into the formal security apparatus, making policing more intelligence-led and effective.
- Integrate the Model into National Security Strategy:
- Action:The Federal Government should incorporate this community-led framework into its national strategy for countering violent extremism and organized crime.
- Rationale:The drivers of youth gangs and extremism are often similar (marginalization, lack of opportunity). This model builds community resilience against all forms of organized violence by addressing the shared root of the problem: the state-community trust deficit.
Conclusion
The community-led security model piloted through the SAARO ARTS forums is not merely a theory; it is a tested and effective solution. It provides a tangible mechanism to rebuild the social contract between the people of Mogadishu and their government. By investing in and scaling this model, policymakers can capitalize on a proven strategy to dismantle the operational capacity of Ciyaal Weero gangs, reduce crime, and foster the community-level resilience essential for lasting peace and development.
