The management of high-value natural resources in post-conflict situations depends, among other things, on the context, including the causes and trajectory of the conflict; the characteristics of the natural resources in question and their role in conflict; the quality of domestic institutions; regional dynamics and international markets; and current and previous approaches to the management of natural resources and the associated revenues. Thus, no one set of policies or programs can ensure success.

This chapter examines how, over the course of nearly 20 years, the production and trade of three natural resources has contributed to the ongoing conflict in Somalia and could ultimately contribute to its resolution. While this use of bananas, charcoal, and fisheries has contributed to the Somali conflict, these resources also represent a potentially important source of nonconflict income that could help the country recover from crisis and, ultimately, strengthen the nascent peacebuilding process.

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) sets a global standard for transparency in the management of oil, gas, and mining revenues. In many resource-rich countries, especially those that are recovering from civil war, opacity and silence have created mistrust and suspicion. Citizens often assume that the government and the extractive companies are in cahoots to keep the wealth for themselves, and companies sometimes feel that governments and citizens are ganging up on them to reset the rules and renegotiate contracts.

In the wake of conflict, there is a risk that resource extraction will have destabilizing impacts by damaging the environment, preventing local people from accessing the