Somalia

Monthly Event Reports GSOD Indices

Somalia performs at the low level across all four categories of the Global State of Democracy framework. It is among the world’s bottom 25 per cent of countries in the majority of factors. Over the last five years, Somalia has maintained stability, experiencing no notable changes in performance. Economically, the country remains one of the poorest and most corrupt in the world, and has been classified by the United Nations as a “least developed country.” Agriculture accounts for a large majority of the economic activity in the East African nation, with livestock raising playing a particularly prominent role.

Formerly an Italian colony and a British protectorate, Somalia became an independent country in 1960. The country’s third president, Siad Barre, was overthrown in 1991, sparking an ongoing civil war. Since then, the country has operated without effective state structures and has been variously described as a “failed” or “fragile” state. A new president, Hassan Mohamud, was elected indirectly in 2022 on pledges of reform, but significant progress is yet to be seen. The northern region of Somaliland is a notable exception to general instability, as the autonomous region, while internationally unrecognized, acts as a de facto independent state.

Economic, territorial, and political disputes between clan groups constitute Somalia’s primary cleavage; since the central government controls relatively little land, clans dominate Somali life. These divisions have contributed to the struggle to build a Somali national identity, and repression against certain clans directly led to the downfall of Siad Barre’s government. Significant portions of central and southern Somalia remain under the effective control of Al-Shabaab, an organization that seeks to establish a fundamentalist Islamic state. The international community, particularly the U.S., has taken a major role in counterterrorism operations and attempts to strengthen democratic institutions; meanwhile, some see clan elders as being instrumental to the success of peace talks with Al-Shabaab. While government forces, backed by drone support from the U.S. and Turkey, recently recaptured several Al-Shabaab-held areas in central Somalia, the terrorist group continues to maintain significant clout within the country and the region. Al-Shabaab’s presence continues to push many Somalis to flee to neighboring countries, where they often face discrimination as refugees.

Somali women are widely subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM), a practice that many campaigners are working to combat. Other human rights violations are also common, and these include indiscriminate attacks on civilians, enforced disappearances, and severe restrictions on freedom of expression. Somalia ranks as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, a side effect of widespread poverty and the state’s inability to guarantee private property rights or contract enforcement. Famines are common and have led to significant out-migration in recent years. Somalis are heavily reliant on remittances from abroad, and poor health and healthcare, education, and infrastructure continue to be major issues for the East African nation.

Looking ahead, it will be important to watch Basic Welfare, as Somalia is increasingly blighted by drought and continues to struggle with food crises and famine. Furthermore, human rights violations remain rampant. These and other issues, coupled with Somalia’s very low level of human development, pose continuous challenges for the country.

March 2024 | Constitutional amendments establish directly elected presidency

A package of constitutional amendments was approved by both chambers of the Somali parliament on 30 March. The amendments will significantly change the office of the president. Instead of the current indirect electoral system under which clans select the members of the parliament, which then elects the president, the president will be directly elected under a system of universal suffrage. The term of office will also be extended from four to five years, and the president will gain the power to dismiss the prime minister (previously a power held by the parliament). Another aspect of the amendments is the establishment of a multi-party system with three political parties. The amendments also address the rights of children, setting the ‘age of maturity’ at 15, which advocacy groups argue will maintain a high level of child marriage, particularly for girls. The constitutional amendments have been opposed by many influential actors in Somalia, including the governments of Puntland and Somaliland, and two former presidents. The previous system - with a divided executive - was intended to share power between clans, and these amendments may undermine that. Under the process agreed upon in January, the amendments will remain provisional until there is agreement with the regional government of Somaliland and a referendum is held.

December 2023 | Puntland state reverses plan to establish universal suffrage

In December, the semi-autonomous state of Puntland abandoned a plan to move from a clan-based electoral system to one with universal suffrage. State President Said Abdullahi Deni’s original announcement of the move to universal suffrage in May was met with protests from opposition politicians and a brief period of violence in which at least 26 people died. Since the plan has been abandoned, the parliament remains selected by the leaders of clans across the state, while the state president is elected by the parliament. A new state parliament was sworn in on 1 January 2024, and President Deni was re-elected by the state parliament on 8 January 2024.

SDG16 Puntland Said Abdullahi Deni

August 2023 | Somalia bans social media platforms TikTok and Telegram

On 20 August, Somalia’s government issued an order indefinitely banning popular social media platforms TikTok and Telegram, alongside an online betting app 1xBet. The order, which came into effect on 24 August, cited concerns about the use of the platforms by terrorists (the al-Shabab militant group regularly uses Telegram’s messaging service to publish its videos press releases) and ‘groups spreading immorality’. As part of its ‘total war’ against al-Shabab, the government has recently tightened restrictions on traditional media and was reported to have shut down dozens of social media accounts, but this is the first time it has cut off access to social media platforms. Rights groups have stated that total bans on social media platforms represent disproportionate restrictions on freedom of expression and breach international human rights standards.

Social Media Internet Shutdown

June 2023 | Fighting erupts in Puntland as parliament debates electoral changes

At least 26 people were reported to have died in fighting that erupted on 20 June in Somalia’s semi-autonomous state of Puntland, as its parliament debated constitutional changes intended to further the state’s ongoing transition to direct elections. Up until May 2023, when it held its first direct local elections, Puntland had used an indirect, clan-based electoral system. The fighting was between the state’s security forces and fighters loyal to the political opposition, who accuse Puntland’s President Said Abdullahi of using electoral reform to hold onto power. Such mistrust between the political elite has hindered the state’s long-delayed transition to universal suffrage, and analysts believe that it could impede progress towards holding direct elections for Puntland’s state parliament and presidency and for federal offices.

Constitution Electoral Reform Regional Government