Eastern Zone DCSA

police force, the community relied on traditional elders and other informal security providers such as informal clan militia, neighbourhood
watches and private security companies for protection.
Justice
There is a court in every district, however, the usage of these courts was very low and they lack necessary resources for the efficient provision of
justice. Usage of the courts was largely limited to civil matters – specifically family disputes and it was also found that religious leaders are rarely
used for justice provision – there are no registered Shari’ah offices in Mogadishu’s Eastern Zone. Traditional elders appear to be the most
commonly utilised justice provider as the community perceives them to grant fair judgements that are less costly and more capable of
enforcement than the formal courts. The traditional elders also solved disputes of a predominantly civil nature although they were occasionally
involved in the arbitration of more serious issues, including criminal cases.
Governance
The Banadir region hosts the capital of Somalia and is also the seat of the Municipality of Mogadishu which encompasses all 16 districts in the
region. Unlike other regions of Somalia, in Banadir the provision of services at the district level is overseen by the Municipal Authority working
through the respective District Administrations. The districts in Mogadishu are (at the time of writing) unique because they do not have local
councils that may be responsible for service delivery (as is the case in other regions). A majority of the respondents were nonetheless unaware
of the existence of the District Administrations - and those that were had little interaction with their representatives. The provision of local
governance has suffered under prolonged periods of insecurity and a prevailing absence of stable central governance. The high levels of socioeconomic
strife have only served to make matters worse, with respondents citing high levels of unemployment, poor education, poor health and
sanitation and a lack of infrastructure as most pressing needs in the community.
xi