ABSTRACT
Mogadishu's security is officially managed by the Somali Police Force (SPF) and less officially by National Intelligence and Security Agency and its military counterterrorism force, Gaashaan, essentially the regional administration's intelligence agency. At first glance, Mogadishu's security governance is organised conventionally. Second, a stabilisation force was created with a remit to target illegal firearms, Al-Shabaab members and militia groups claiming to be government soldiers, all of which was intended to protect the city during Ramadan, when terrorist attacks increase in frequency. In practice, Mogadishu's style of governance reflects a preference for opaque decision-making and tactical flexibility. Mogadishu's insecurity, the SPF's minimal policing role, and academics' focus on non-state actors ensures that little is known about Somali police culture or everyday police business; donors and many international technical advisers are more concerned to reform or improve the SPF's technical standards and practices than to understand it on its own terms.
