Yusuf Daud

Yusuf Daud is a PhD candidate at the African Studies Centre of Leiden University. He is also freelance consultant in organisational development in Somalia. His PhD project is entitled “Federalism in Somalia: Panacea or Predicament? The role of Somali civil society organisations in the federalisation and formation of federal states”. This dissertation will explore the role of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the formation of Somali Federal Member States (FMSs) in general but will specifically delve into the establishment of Puntland State of Somalia, the first FMS formed in 1998, and the HirShabelle state, the last to be established in 2016 in Jowhar, the provincial capital of Middle Shabelle region. Additionally, the study traces not only the role of CSOs in the development of the FMS but also their overall role in the formation and in the sustainability of the general Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) from 2004 to the present. Furthermore, the work scrutinises both the vertical relations (national vs. member state relations) and the horizontal (interstate relations) aspects of the FMS.

Yusuf Daud holds an MSc in Anthropology & Development Studies from the Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. He obtained a B.A in International Relations and International Organisations (IRIO) from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. He also studied for a Bachelor of Economics at Al-Neelain University of Sudan. In addition to his educational background, he worked with various UN agencies such as UNOSOM II, UNDP/UNV & WHO from 1993-2000. Afterwards, he was trained and then certified by an Oxfam Novib Netherlands sponsored Project entitled “Somalia Civil Society Capacity Building Program” funded by the EU during 2003-2004. During the period 2004-2007, he worked as a consultant & trainer in organisational development with Oxfam Novib funded projects in Somalia and Somaliland, providing capacity building training with more than 20 local NGOs in Somalia/Somaliland. Later, he worked with about half a dozen Somali local NGOs in various capacities ranging from Project Manager, Program Coordinator and Executive Director.

Keywords: State failure and state-building, wars and political economy, federalism, constitution, and the roles of government organs.