A Decade of UNSCR 2250: Is Somalia’s 75% Population a Threat or the Solution?

Introduction

This year marks a decade since the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Agenda. The Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Agenda recognizes the significant role of young people in building peace and stability. The agenda calls for inclusive representation and participation, and taking the voices of young people into account, and empowering them to participate and lead peace and security processes.

Today, the world needs peace now more than ever, as it continues to face widespread conflict and instability. At the same time, the young people account for 16% of the global population, with 1.2 billion aged 15-24 in the world. While this is a never-before-seen portion of young people and instead of empowering them in the peacebuilding and development agenda, they have been historically excluded from all forms of policy and decision-making.

Somalia reflects these global challenges in a very real manner. For decades, the country has continued to experience complex and recurring cycles of conflict linked to longstanding clan tensions, violent extremism, competition over limited resources, and increasingly severe effects of climate change and this fuelled by poverty, limited access to basic services and marginalization. Yet within this challenging landscape lies one of Somalia’s greatest sources of hope; its youth. More than 70% of the population are under the age of 30. Young people are among the most affected by conflict, but they are also at the forefront of efforts to build a peaceful nation. Across the country, communities are experiencing conflicts, young people are victims but are also active mediators, advocating for a peaceful coexistence.

In this article, I will examine the Somali conflict context briefly, looking at the historical, political, social and environmental dimensions that continue to influence the country’s fragile stability, and will explore the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Agenda, how Somali youth moved beyond the sidelines to become key actors in shaping a peaceful nation, and the challenges they face to participate and contribute to peace and security. The article will also include success stories, showcasing how Somali youth are building peaceful societies, through volunteerism, dialogue and mediation and will provide recommendations for civil society organizations, government and international partners on how to advance youth engagement in peace building.

Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Agenda Background

In 2015, efforts to increase awareness about the importance of youth in peace and security processes culminated in the United Nations Security Resolution (UNSCR) 2250, which established the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Agenda. Similarly to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Agenda seeks to empower and encourage the meaningful participation of a group that has historically been marginalized from matters of peace and security. The YPS Agenda recognizes that conflicts affect youth in a particularly harmful way by disrupting their access to education and economic opportunities, and that this can further undermine long-term peace and reconciliation. It also highlights that youth are often disproportionately represented in the populations of countries affected by conflict, and calls for greater inclusion of youth in preventing and resolving conflict and in sustaining peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts. Indeed, the agenda underscores the risks of inadequate inclusion of youth in these efforts and the dangers of youth radicalization that leads to violent extremism and terrorism. Importantly, it introduces a framework to orient work in this area.

The Five Pillars of Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Agenda

The YPS Agenda underscores the risks of inadequate inclusion of youth in peace and security efforts, and the dangers of youth radicalization that leads to violent extremism and terrorism, and so that, the agenda is introduced and rests on five pillars, which guides its organization and implementation.

• Participation: The inclusive representation and participation of youth in decision and policy-making at all levels should be increased, to better prevent and resolve conflict. This pillar constitutes the primary focus of the agenda, which is increasing youth participation in peace and security and giving them the opportunity to take part in decision-making at all levels.
• Protection: This pillar argues to protect youth, respect for existing international humanitarian, and human rights law and all parties to armed conflict must take necessary measures to protect civilians including youth, from violence, exploitation, and human rights abuses.
• Prevention: This pillar focuses on building the conditions necessary to reduce the risk of violence and conflict before they occur. It says an inclusive and enabling environment should be created to facilitate greater contribution by youth to peacebuilding efforts and to ensure they benefit from economic and social development.
• Partnerships:  This  emphasizes  the  importance  of  building  strong  effective partnerships to advance YPS Agenda. It argues coordination should be improved among UN bodies, civil society and youth groups, and Member States should increase support to the efforts of local communities and civil society to counter violent extremism.
• Disengagement and Reintegration: This focuses on supporting young people leaving armed groups, and reintegrating into society. Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) activities should consider the needs of young people and provide appropriate economic and education opportunities.

Overview of Somalia Conflict Context

Over the past three decades, Somalia has experienced civil wars, inter-clan conflicts, militias, warlords, terrorims and other several violent conflicts. These conflicts resulted in the death of many innocent civilians including youth, and destroyed the state institutions, trust in governance, and played a major role in the return to peace.

Somalia’s current conflict began with the collapse of the central government in 1991, when Siad Barre’s fall and state institutions broke down. With no functioning government to maintain order, different clan groups and militias began fighting for control. This sudden power vacuum exposed long-standing tensions and inequalities in the country, and the lack of central government allowed violence and fragmentation to spread quickly. What started as a political crisis grew into a long period of instability that deeply affected Somali society.

Over time, more actors became involved in the conflict, making it increasingly complex. Clan-based militias continued to fight each other. Islamist movements gained influence in places where the government was absent, eventually leading to the rise of Al-Shabaab as a powerful armed group. And these groups expanded their controls and the conflict shifted from purely clan rivalries to a mix of local, ideological and regional struggles which make it harder for any central authority to rebuild strong and stable governance across the country. Several attempts, including the formation of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), and a system of Federal Member States (FMSs), have been made to rebuild national institutions. However, political disagreements between the Federal Government and the Federal Member States remain a major challenge. Efforts to build an effective and unified security sector has also been difficult, with issues such as weak coordination, corruption, divided loyalties and the continued strength of non-state armed groups. And these challenges limit the government’s ability to control the whole country, deliver basic services and gain trust of the population.

Today, Somalia stands at a crossroads, shaped by both the weight of its long conflict, climate shocks and the continuing challenges it faces. Al-Shabaab remains a serious threat, recurring clan tensions, political disagreements, economic hardship, widespread unemployment rate and repeated climate shocks continue to hold the country back.

Somalia: Youth in Peacebuilding

Somalia has experienced three decades of conflict, and the current generation grew up in a country riddled with violent and political instability. Somalia’s civil war, which began as a struggle for the control of the government, shifted into long-term instability. At the beginning of the civil war, young men fought to secure control and were under the control of militia commanders. Somali youth involved in the conflict, as foot soldiers for clan militias, warlords and Al-Shabaab. The main reason that makes young people involved in the conflict is an economic motive as the World Bank reports, and the dramatically increasing rate of unemployment which led them to gravitate towards conflict and acts of terrorims.

Despite the existence of all kinds of youth driven violence in Somalia in general, and Mogadishu city in particular, which resulted in loss of lives and properties, some Somali youth decided to stand up, lead peacebuilding efforts and end the violence. Among these groups are youth-led organizations such as:

• Madasha Nabadda iyo Horumarinta Mudug (Peace and Development Forum): is a community-based youth initiative focused on peacebuilding, social cohesion, and development in Mudug region, Somalia, especially around Gaalkacyo, bringing together young people from different sides of the conflict to promote unity, conflict resolution and positive change, often working with organizations and runs charitable programs for orphans and community dialogue.
• Somali Youth Development Network (SOYDEN): a youth-led organization, focuses on peacebuilding in Somalia by engaging and raising the voices of the young people. SOYDEN mobilizes youth to participate in dialogue forums, peace matches, and advocacy campaigns to promote peace and reconciliation, and also provides young people with the skills and resources needed to become positive agents of change in Somalia, particularly in their communities.
• Youth Empowering Council (YECO): a youth-founded and youth-led organization, focuses on strengthening the voices of young people in addressing climate challenges, building peace and empowering the next generation to shape a peaceful and a resilient future. YECO implements UN Security Council Resolution 2250 at a local level, equipping youth with the knowledge and skills on conflict analysis, mediation, peace advocacy, leadership and management, and connects young people with the civil society organizations, government actors and the independent researchers to build a strong partnership and collaborate for a peaceful Somalia.
• Gargaar Organization: A youth-led organization, voluntarily contributing to building sustainable peace. Gargaar contributes through awareness raising, community engagement, and supporting the education of young people in conflict-affected areas to challenge violence through inclusive education. Youth and youth-led organizations join with other civil society organizations especially women organizations, and community-based organizations working in the field of peace building by launching campaigns to persuade and challenge their peers to stop fighting and transform the conflict into peaceful coexistence.

Success Stories (Galkacyo and Xananbuure Cases)

• Gaalkacyo, a city divided between Puntland State in the north, and Galmudug State in the south, has experienced recurring clan conflicts, and its youth decided to stand up to de-escalate tensions through volunteerism, mediation and raising awareness among the communities. They used slogans such as “Inta nool ayaa nolol ubaahan”, meaning “those who are still alive need peace”. Madasha Nabadda iyo Horumarinta Mudug (Peace and Development Forum), a community-based youth initiative initiated the Gaalkacyo Peace Week, an annual platform that creates space for business community, civil society organizations, youth-led organizations and other key stakeholders to reflect on the past year, showcase peace innovations, arts, and discuss conflict dynamics openly, encourage social cohesion and renew commitment among the city’s residents. All these efforts show that when youth contribute to and lead peacebuilding, they can stop the continuation of violence and make peace possible.
• Xananbuure, a village in the Galgaduud region of Galmudug State, has long been affected by recurring conflicts driven by long-standing competition over scarce pastoral resources, such as grazing land and water wells. The conflicts in Xananbuure, rooted in disputes between rival clan militias over natural resources which is a common issue in many parts of Somalia, have resulted in death, injuries, displacement and mass destruction. However, Galmudug State forces took control of Xananbuure village, Gargaar Organization, other civil society actors and the youth associations of Dhuusamareeb and Cadaado districts stood up, calling for a ceasefire and peaceful return to the village. Gargaar Organization played a crucial role, raised community awareness, organized peace matches and supported primary schools in the village with learning materials. In November 2025, Cadaado and Dhuusamareeb youth associations and youth-led organizations, including Gargaar Organization, jointly with the government, engaged traditional and religious leaders and brokered a peace agreement between rival clan militias, aimed to successfully restore peaceful coexistence in the village. “We chose to restore peaceful coexistence through community awareness, building trust among the young people, and supporting primary schools with learning materials to challenge violence through inclusive education” Ahmed Abdullahi “Gaalodiid”, Gargaar Organization.

Challenges Youth Face in Peacebuilding

In participating building sustainable peace and development, young people face several challenges, preventing them from participating in peace and security. Youth and youth-led organizations face several challenges, including:

Economic and High Unemployment

Youth in Somalia face severe unemployment due to limited job opportunities, unstable markets and decades of conflict. Many young people struggle to meet basic needs, which forces them to focus on daily survival rather than civic engagement. Because of this economic pressure, some youth become vulnerable to recruitment by armed groups who exploit their financial desperation. Also, the lack of income prevents youth from attending peace dialogues, travelling for peace campaigns and creates a lack of appetite for building peace.

Limited Access to Education, Marginalisation and Insecurity

Large percentage of youth lack access to formal schooling or vocational training, and without strong literacy, leadership training, conflict resolution skills and knowledge about governance, youth find it difficult to participate confidently in peace processes, and this gap creates a “skills vacuum” where youth are physically present in communities but lack of professional or technical capacity for roles in mediation, documentation and security reform. Discrimination is another challenge the young people are facing, and this restricts their visibility, influence and ability to contribute meaningfully. Living in environments where clan conflicts, armed militias and extremist groups are active, participation in peace building can become personally risky, and youth who speak out may be threatened or targeted.

Political Exclusion, Negative Perceptions and Stereotyping of Youth

Political processes often overlook youth voices, and youth are not fully included in local committees that manage peace, security and governance and even federal and state-level politics. And this exclusion creates a disconnect, and youth lose trust in political structures and feel that participation in peace processes will not lead to meaningful change. Negative perceptions and stereotypes of youth are another significant challenge, as sometimes youth are portrayed in media and narratives as troublemakers, potential recruits or sources of insecurity, and such stereotypes affect how society treats youth, and influence elders’ willingness to include them in discussions about peace and security.

Recommendations

For civil society organisations (CSOs):

Civil society organisations, including youth-led, women-led and community-based organisations, should:

• Integrate economic empowerment and skills development components into their programmes to contribute addressing the high rate of youth unemployment, as economic pressure increases youth vulnerability to recruitment by armed groups that exploit financial hardship, and improving livelihood opportunities can reduce this risk.
• Advocate for youth (men and women) access to inclusive and quality education to address the limited access to formal schooling and vocational training, as improved education helps reduce illiteracy, and strengthens youth capacity to engage in mediation, conflict resolution, and addresses the skills vacuum in which youth are present in communities but lack professional and technical competencies for peace building
• Empower youth people to participate in policy and decision-making process, by equipping them with relevant skills and knowledge to contribute meaningfully to change, as exclusion from policy and decision-making processes reduces youth confidence in peace and security processes. Also, CSOs should challenge negative perceptions and stereotypes of youth, by promoting trust between youth, elders and community leaders which paves a way for strengthening youth participation in community-level decision-making.

For Government:

• Government should promote youth economic empowerment and education, by expanding employment opportunities, vocational and technical training, and access to inclusive and quality education, particularly in conflict-affected and hard-to-reach areas, as addressing unemployment, skills gaps and limited educational access in a fragile state, like Somalia, reduces youth vulnerability to armed groups recruitment, and strengthens youth capacity to participate in peace, governance and security reform, meaningfully.
• Institutionalise youth inclusion and protection within peace and governance systems, through ensuring youth voices are taken into account, and involved in all forms of decision and policymaking, while also providing safety and legal protection for youth raised their voices and called for peaceful coexistence. And to challenge negative perceptions and stereotypes, government policies and public narratives should serve to recognise young people as legitimate and trusted partners in peace and development agenda.

For International Partners

The international partners including UN, International NGOs, and Global Funds should:

• Invest in inclusive formal and non-formal education, vocational and technical training, and peace education in conflict-affected areas, and programmes strengthening youth literacy, leadership, mediation and advocacy in order to contribute addressing the existing gap that limits youth participation in peace and security.
• Prioritise sustained and flexible financing for programmes that increase employment creation, livelihoods and entrepreneurship support, which addresses youth unemployment and economic insecurity and reduces youth vulnerability to recruitment by armed groups and enables youth to participate consistently in peace dialogues, reconciliation, and advocacy campaigns,
• Support the meaningful inclusion of youth in peace processes, governance reforms and all forms of decision and policy making, and additionally, invest in research, public communication and community engagement to challenge negative stereotypes, and emphasise the positive role of youth in peace and security.