This project to explore Alternatives for Conflict Transformation in Somalia (ACTS) was conceived to address the distorting effect of the counterterrorism discourse. A key finding of the research for ACTS is that Somalia – particularly south-central Somalia – is much more diverse politically than the binary terrorism–counterterrorism categorisation suggests. Even though almost all Somali political actors profess allegiance to Islamic values and intend to enforce Sharia, the faith-based Islamist
movements themselves display a wide range of ideologies, opposing political objectives and divergent plans to achieve those objectives. The research also questions the continued labelling of the conflict in Somalia as a civil war. The presence of African Union and other foreign forces, their mandate to
protect the internationally recognised central and regional administrations and fight against al-Shabab make it a regional and international conflict rather than a civil war. It tried to capture the political
views and strategies of major actors across the south-central regions and Puntland. The report represents voices from the ground and relies on information gathered from primary sources. It is a contribution towards a better understanding of the intractable cycle of organised violence in Somalia.
