This journal article examines the dynamics of checkpoint authority in Somalia, focusing on how kinship, mobility and checkpoint practices intersect to shape political and social orders. Challenging the notion that checkpoint governance is either an expression of state-like power or indicative of the state’s absence, the authors argue that Somali checkpoints (isbaaro) must be understood in relation to the militarization and commercialization of clan-based institutions. The article is published in Development and Change.

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