Reviving Somali studies

The cities of Hargeisa, Jigjiga and Mogadishu have all played their part in bringing Somali studies back to the Horn and sustaining its local ownership by hosting the last three consecutive triennial Somali Studies International Association (SSIA) congresses in 2018, 2021 and 2024, respectively. These congresses symbolised the localisation of Somali studies and reflected the growing academic capacities and interests—both individual and institutional—emerging from the region. Enabling many young Somali and other scholars in the Horn—who are often unable to travel to Western countries due to current global migration regimes and funding barriers—to participate in the conference was an equally important contribution of these congresses. Now, four years after hosting the congress in Jigjiga, I felt compelled to share the humbling experience of hosting the 14th congress, and to spark a conversation on the renewal and strengthening of the SSIA.

The SSIA

The Somali Studies International Association (SSIA) was founded in 1978, thanks to the determination of the late Professor Hussein Mohamed Adam (Tanzania). As noted by Lee Cassanelli, the idea first emerged among scholars researching Somali issues—including Hussein Tanzania, Charles Geschekter, Bogumił Witalis Andrzejewski, Said Samatar, Joseph Pia, Richard Greenfield, and Cassanelli himself. However, it was Prof. Hussein Tanzania, the first Somali to earn a PhD from Harvard, who brought the association to life. He served as its first president and guided it through turbulent times over the next two decades, ensuring it became the main hub for Somali studies and scholarship.

While it is important to recognise that Somali studies as a field has a longer history, the SSIA has, for nearly half a century, served as the primary platform for those interested in Somali and Horn of Africa studies.

Since its first congress in Mogadishu in 1980, the SSIA has held its gatherings every three years at universities across Europe, North America and East Africa. Cities such as Hamburg, Rome, Boston, Berlin, Toronto, Hargeisa, Aarhus, Columbus, Djibouti, Oslo, Helsinki, Jigjiga, Gothenburg and Mogadishu have all played host at various times since that first congress. Alongside these congresses, regional chapters have emerged in North America, the UK, and most recently, the Somali Regional Studies chapter in Jigjiga. Several journals, including Bildhaan, the Horn of Africa Journal, and the Somali Studies Journal at Mogadishu University, have further advanced the field.

While it is important to recognise that Somali studies as a field has a longer history, the SSIA has, for nearly half a century, served as the primary platform for those interested in Somali and Horn of Africa studies. The SSIA has produced and facilitated significant research, publications and forums for scholarly exchange. Its impact is undeniable, with the wealth of knowledge generated and shared through its congresses shaping Somali studies for generations.

Expectations and realities of hosting the SSIA

Inspired by the SSIA’s legacy of promoting scholarship on Somali culture and society, the 2018 Hargeisa Congress, and the political changes in Ethiopia’s Somali Region that created an environment receptive to scientific platforms, we set out to bring the congress to Jigjiga—a region often overlooked in Somali studies. After connecting with organisers from the Hargeisa Congress and discussing the process, we travelled to Addis Ababa to meet with SSIA committee members at the time. With their encouragement, and the support of Jigjiga University, we formed a dedicated team to apply to host the conference. A few months later, we were thrilled when the SSIA Guurti (committee) selected us, along with the city of Gothenburg in Sweden, to host the 14th SSIA Congress.

There were no formally documented procedures guiding how hosting institutions should organise the conference, or how to ensure a smooth transfer of hosting responsibilities from one institution to the next.

This achievement was not only a personal milestone but also a significant success for the city of Jigjiga and for Jigjiga University. Yet, as we planned the congress and engaged with the Guurti, it became apparent that the SSIA—this pillar of Somali scholarship—was a nominal institution lacking structure, clear responsibilities and lines of communication. There were no formally documented procedures guiding how hosting institutions should organise the conference, or how to ensure a smooth transfer of hosting responsibilities from one institution to the next. To make matters worse, internal divisions and differences of opinion emerged among committee members, often influenced by their political stances.

Everything relied on informal conversations and personal networks—which ultimately helped us through the process, and for which we remain grateful.

This lack of clear structure led to several confusions. For instance, after Jigjiga (and later Gothenburg) hosted the 14th congress, Somali National University in Mogadishu proceeded to organise the next (15th) congress in 2024 without informing or coordinating with the Jigjiga team, and initially failed to acknowledge Jigjiga as the previous host (something they only corrected after we reached out directly). Moreover, apart from two committee members with whom we had prior working relationships, most of the Guurti did not oversee or participate in the conference or its organisation.

Despite these organisational gaps, we successfully hosted the 14th SSIA Congress in Jigjiga in July 2021, welcoming over 300 participants from across the Somali region and beyond, with many more joining online due to Covid-19 restrictions. Gothenburg, our co-host, was only able to hold its part of the event in August 2023.

The future and the SSIA?

While the SSIA today may seem a shadow of its former self, its relevance has never been greater. The pioneering Somali scholars who laid its foundation created a legacy that deserves not only to be honoured but also reinvigorated—especially now, as a new generation of Somali researchers and institutions emerges, both in the Horn and across the diaspora. The founders have done their part; it is now time for the new generation of Somali scholars to carry the torch.

Perhaps the next SSIA Congress could serve as a turning point: to re-establish the association with a mutually agreed-upon structure, including a clear hierarchy and digital infrastructure (a website and an accessible repository) for the wealth of knowledge produced over the past fifty years—much of which remains scattered, inaccessible and without digital presence.

My message is not one of criticism, but a call to action—to refine the SSIA as an institution. Perhaps the next SSIA Congress could serve as a turning point: to re-establish the association with a mutually agreed-upon structure, including a clear hierarchy and digital infrastructure (a website and an accessible repository) for the wealth of knowledge produced over the past fifty years—much of which remains scattered, inaccessible and without digital presence. Above all, the SSIA must revive its tradition of fostering an inclusive environment for Somali studies, despite the political and other differences that may exist among Somalis and scholars in the Horn.