SOMALIA: Massive new displacements as power struggle in Mogadishu flares up again A profile of the internal displacement situation 24 April, 2007 This Internal Displacement Profile is automatically generated from the online IDP database of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). It includes an overview of the internal displacement situation in the country prepared by the IDMC, followed by a compilation of excerpts from relevant reports by a variety of different sources. All headlines as well as the bullet point summaries at the beginning of each chapter were added by the IDMC to facilitate navigation through the Profile. Where dates in brackets are added to headlines, they indicate the publication date of the most recent source used in the respective chapter. The views expressed in the reports compiled in this Profile are not necessarily shared by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. The Profile is also available online at www.internal-displacement.org. About the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, established in 1998 by the Norwegian Refugee Council, is the leading international body monitoring conflict-induced internal displacement worldwide. Through its work, the Centre contributes to improving national and international capacities to protect and assist the millions of people around the globe who have been displaced within their own country as a result of conflicts or human rights violations. At the request of the United Nations, the Geneva-based Centre runs an online database providing comprehensive information and analysis on internal displacement in some 50 countries. Based on its monitoring and data collection activities, the Centre advocates for durable solutions to the plight of the internally displaced in line with international standards. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre also carries out training activities to enhance the capacity of local actors to respond to the needs of internally displaced people. In its work, the Centre cooperates with and provides support to local and national civil society initiatives. For more information, visit the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre website and the database at www.internal-displacement.org. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre Norwegian Refugee Council Chemin de Balexert 7-9 1219 Geneva, Switzerland Tel.: +41 22 799 07 00 [email protected] www.internal-displacement.org 2 CONTENTS CONTENTS 3 OVERVIEW 9 SOMALIA: MASSIVE NEW DISPLACEMENTS AS POWER STRUGGLE IN MOGADISHU FLARES UP AGAIN 9 CAUSES AND BACKGROUND 17 OVERVIEW 17 BACKGROUND AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS (SPECIAL REPORT, 2006) 17 BACKGROUND 19 SIAD BARRE’S DICTATORSHIP AND ROOT CAUSES OF STATE COLLAPSE: 1969-1991 (2003) 19 SIAD BARRE’S WAR AGAINST THE ISAAK-DOMINATED NORTHWESTERN SOMALIA IN THE 1980S (2003) 21 THE FALL OF BARRE REGIME IN 1991 WAS FOLLOWED BY ALL OUT INTER-CLAN WAR (2003) 22 SOMALILAND DECLARES ITS INDEPENDENCE IN 1991; IN 2006 STILL NO INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION (MAY 2006) 24 PUNTLAND: REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION ESTABLISHED IN 1998 (2004) 28 SOOL AND SANAAG REGIONS CONTESTED BY PUNTLAND AND SOMALILAND (1998-2004) 30 SOMALIA: TNG FAILS TO DEVELOP AUTHORITY, IS OPPOSED BY BUSINESSMEN AND WARLORDS COALITIONS (2000-2004) 32 SOMALIA: NEW PRESIDENT OF SOMALIA ELECTED 11 OCTOBER 2004 AFTER 13 YEARS OF STATELESSNESS (2004) 36 SOUTHERN REGIONAL AUTHORITIES: THE RAHANWEYN RESISTANCE ARMY (RRA) (2004) 37 SOUTHERN REGIONAL AUTHORITIES: JUBA VALLEY AUTHORITY (JVA) (2004) 39 REGIONAL ACTORS VESTED INTERESTS AND VIOLATIONS OF ARMS EMBARGOES (2004) 41 UNOSOM INTERVENTION EMBROILED THE UN INTO THE CONFLICT (1992-1995) 44 IRIN-CEA CHRONOLOGY OF THE CONFLICT IN SOMALIA (1960-2000) 45 MINORITIES IN SOMALIA: A HISTORY OF SEGREGATION AND LAND EXPROPRIATION (2002) 47 CAUSES OF DISPLACEMENT 50 MASS DISPLACEMENT BEGAN WITH OUTBREAK OF CIVIL WAR IN 1988 50 THOUSANDS FORCED TO FLEE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN AIDEED-CONTROLLED AREAS DURING LATE 1990S 51 CLAN-BASED COMPETITION OVER RESOURCES IS THE MAIN CAUSE OF DISPLACEMENT (2004) 51 CRUEL COMBINATION OF CONFLICT AND CLIMATIC EXTREMES CAUSE REPEATED DISPLACEMENTS IN SOMALIA (2004) 55 PEACE EFFORTS 58 THE SOMALI NATIONAL RECONCILIATION CONFERENCE UNDER THE AUSPICES OF IGAD (2002-2004) 58 3 ARTA DJIBOUTI PEACE PROCESS RESULTED IN CREATION OF THE TRANSITIONAL NATIONAL GOVERNMENT (TNG) (AUGUST 2000) 62 OVER TEN YEARS OF PEACE EFFORTS IN SOMALIA ACHIEVED LITTLE SUCCESS (2003) 63 APPROACHES TO POLITICAL CONSOLIDATION IN A COLLAPSED STATE (2003) 63 POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS SINCE THE CREATION OF THE TRANSITIONAL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT (TFG) 65 RETURN OF THE TFG TO SOMALIA HAS NOT BROUGHT STABILITY TO SOUTH SOMALIA (JUNE 2006) 65 PUNTLAND AND SOMALILAND ARE LOOKING FOR STABILITY REGARDING DISPUTED BORDER AREAS (JUNE 2006) 68 ISLAMIC COURTS UNION WINS CONTROL OVER LARGE PART OF SOMALIA (SEPTEMBER 2006) 69 VIOLATIONS OF UN ARMS EMBARGO CONTINUE UNABATED (MAY 2006) 74 POLICE OFFICERS GRADUATE IN SOMALIA (APRIL 2006) 76 INTER-GOVERNMENTAL SOMALIA CONTACT GROUP CREATED BY THE US (JULY 2006) 76 ETHIOPIAN INVOLVEMENT MAY DESTABILISE THE ENTIRE REGION (JULY 2006) 77 POPULATION FIGURES AND PROFILE 79 OVERVIEW 79 NUMBERS AND RECENT DISPLACEMENTS (SPECIAL REPORT, 2006) 79 GLOBAL FIGURES 80 NEW DISPLACEMENT IN 2006, WITH OVERALL IDP FIGURE STILL ESTIMATED AT AROUND 400,000 (SEPTEMBER 2006) 80 NEW DISPLACEMENTS DURING 2005 82 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 83 RECURRENT DISPLACEMENTS IN SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL SOMALIA DUE TO INTERMITTENT INTER-FACTIONAL CONFLICTS (2004) 83 THE GREAT MAJORITY OF IDPS, AN ESTIMATED 250,000, LIVE IN MOGADISHU (2004) 85 IDPS IN SOMALILAND (JUNE 2006) 87 IDPS IN PUNTLAND STATE OF SOMALIA (MARCH 2006) 90 DISAGGREGATED DATA 92 CATEGORIES OF IDPS AND THEIR SPECIFIC VULNERABILITIES (2005) 92 PATTERNS OF DISPLACEMENT 95 OVERVIEW 95 CAUSES AND PATTERNS OF DISPLACEMENT (SPECIAL REPORT, 2006) 95 GENERAL 95 SOUTHERN IDPS OFTEN FLEE TO SOMALILAND AND PUNTLAND (MARCH 2006) 96 MOST DISPLACEMENT REMAINS LOCAL OR REGIONAL, WITH TENDENCY TO FLEE TO MAIN TOWNS (2005) 96 NORMAL (SEASONAL) AND ABNORMAL (CONFLICT-INDUCED) MOVEMENTS (2003) 98 PHYSICAL SECURITY & FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT 101 OVERVIEW 101 PROTECTION NEEDS (SPECIAL REPORT, 2006) 101 4 PHYSICAL SECURITY 103 SURVEY ADDRESSES PROTECTION ISSUES OF BOSSASO AND GAROWE IDPS (JUNE 2005) 103 INTERNALLY DISPLACED WOMEN AND GIRLS LACK PROTECTION (NOVEMBER 2005) 103 FIRES IN IDP SETTLEMENTS ARE A RECURRING DISTURBING PHENOMENON IN ALL OF SOMALIA (JUNE 2006) 106 IDPS WHO BELONG TO MINORITIES FROM SOUTH AND CENTRAL SOMALIA ARE DISCRIMINATED IN SOMALILAND (JUNE 2006) 109 IDPS IN SOMALIA ARE DELIBERATE TARGETS OF GROSS VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN LAW (MARCH 2006) 111 TRADITIONAL JUSTICE: PROTECTION OF IDPS IN SOMALIA DEPENDS ON LOCATION: LIVING IN CLAN "HOME AREAS" (2004) 112 PROTECTION SITUATION OF IDPS IN MOGADISHU AND OTHER SOUTHERN TOWNS (2004) 114 SOMALILAND: SOUTHERN IDPS AT RISK OF DISCRIMINATION (MARCH 2006) 116 UNICEF SURVEY ON IDP’S PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THEIR OWN PROTECTION SITUATION (DEC 2003) 117 DISPLACED CHILDREN LACK PROTECTION (2004) 118 FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT 120 IDPS FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT HAMPERED BY MILITIA ROADBLOCKS AND EXTORTION (2004) 120 SUBSISTENCE NEEDS 122 OVERVIEW 122 HUMANITARIAN SITUATION (SPECIAL REPORT, 2006) 122 GENERAL 123 RELATIVE SECURITY BUT ALSO INCREASED HUMANITARIAN NEEDS AMONG MOGADISHU'S IDPS (JUNE 2006) 123 NUTRITION AND HEALTH INDICATORS AMONG THE WORST IN THE WORLD (NOVEMBER 2005) 126 FOOD 127 FOOD EMERGENCY IN THE SOUTH IS NOT OVER, COMPOUNDED BY CONFLICT (JULY 2006) 127 SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN HARGEISA (SOMALILAND) AND AMONG PASTORALISTS IN THE NORTH (OCTOBER 2005) 132 IN NORTH POCKETS OF HIGH FOOD INSECURITY 133 NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF IDPS BY REGION (2004) 134 IDPS ARE THREE TIMES MORE AT RISK OF MALNUTRITION THAN RESIDENT POPULATIONS (2004) 138 HEALTH 141 FIGHTING MALNUTRITION IS CHALLENGING DUE TO POOR ACCESS TO LARGE PART OF POPULATION (APRIL 2006) 141 VAST MAJORITY OF IDPS HAVE NO ACCESS TO HEALTH FACILITIES AND HAVE ALARMING HEALTH STATUS (JUNE 2006) 142 EXTREMELY POOR HEALTH STATUS OF IDPS IN MOST REGIONS OF SOMALIA (JUNE 2006) 144 WATER AND SANITATION 146 MOST IDPS HAVE NO ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION FACILITIES (2004) 146 SHELTER AND NON-FOOD ITEMS 150 MOST IDPS LIVE IN SHACKS IN SLUMS OR IN PUBLIC BUILDINGS (2004) 150 5 ACCESS TO EDUCATION 153 OVERVIEW 153 ACCESS TO EDUCATION (SPECIAL REPORT, 2006) 153 GENERAL 153 MINIMAL ACCESS TO EDUCATION, ESPECIALLY FOR GIRLS AND IDP CHILDREN (DECEMBER 2005) 153 IDP CHILDREN IN MERKA GET ENROLLED IN SCHOOL (JULY 2006) 156 ACCESS TO EDUCATION IN HARGEISA'S IDP SETTLEMENTS (JULY 2006) 157 IDPS’ ACCESS TO EDUCATION DETERMINED BY INCOME AND ETHNICITY (2003) 157 ISSUES OF SELF-RELIANCE AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 160 OVERVIEW 160 SELF-RELIANCE (SPECIAL REPORT, 2006) 160 SELF-RELIANCE 161 IDPS’ SURVIVAL STRATEGIES ERODED BY YEARS OF PROTRACTED CONFLICT AND DROUGHT (NOVEMBER 2005) 161 SELF RELIANCE IN SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL SOMALIA (2004) 164 SELF-RELIANCE IN THE NORTHWEST: SOMALILAND (JUNE 2006) 167 SELF-RELIANCE IN THE NORTHEAST: PUNTLAND (JUNE 2006) 170 LIVESTOCK BAN HAS LED TO MAJOR INCOME DEFICITS FOR PASTORALISTS AND IDPS (2000- 2003) 172 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 175 DEEP-ROOTED GENDER DISCRIMINATION IN SOMALIA HINDERS PARTICIPATION (MAY 2006) 175 DOCUMENTATION NEEDS AND CITIZENSHIP 177 GENERAL 177 NO FUNCTIONING JUDICIAL SYSTEM AVAILABLE IN SOMALIA, TRADITIONAL SYSTEM SHOWS GAPS (JUNE 2006) 177 ISSUES OF FAMILY UNITY, IDENTITY AND CULTURE 180 OVERVIEW 180 SOMALI IDENTITIES AND CULTURE