COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT SOMALIA 6 JUNE 2008 UK BORDER AGENCY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE 6 JUNE 2008 SOMALIA Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN SOMALIA, FROM 28 APRIL 2008 TO 6 JUNE 2008 REPORTS ON SOMALIA PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED SINCE 28 APRIL 2008 Paragraphs Background Information GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................. 1.01 Map ................................................................................................ 1.04 ECONOMY ................................................................................................. 2.01 HISTORY ................................................................................................... 3.01 Collapse of central government and civil war ........................... 3.01 Peace initiatives 2000-2006 ......................................................... 3.13 ‘South West State of Somalia’ (Bay and Bakool) ...................... 3.18 ‘Puntland’ Regional Administration............................................ 3.19 The ‘Republic of Somaliland’ ...................................................... 3.20 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ........................................................................... 4.01 CONSTITUTION .......................................................................................... 5.01 ‘Puntland State of Somalia’ Charter ...........................................5.02 ‘Republic of Somaliland’ Constitution........................................ 5.03 POLITICAL SYSTEM.................................................................................... 6.01 Puntland ........................................................................................ 6.03 Somaliland .................................................................................... 6.06 Human Rights INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 7.01 SECURITY SITUATION................................................................................. 8.01 Police............................................................................................. 8.28 Torture........................................................................................... 8.32 Extra–judicial killings................................................................... 8.33 Armed forces ................................................................................ 8.37 ABUSES BY NON-GOVERNMENT ARMED FORCES......................................... 9.01 Clan-based militias....................................................................... 9.01 JUDICIARY ................................................................................................ 10.01 Puntland ........................................................................................ 10.03 Somaliland .................................................................................... 10.04 ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS.................................................. 11.01 PRISON CONDITIONS.................................................................................. 12.01 DEATH PENALTY........................................................................................ 13.01 POLITICAL AFFILIATION.............................................................................. 14.01 Mogadishu .................................................................................... 14.02 ‘South West State of Somalia’ (Bay and Bakool) ...................... 14.04 Puntland ........................................................................................ 14.05 Somaliland .................................................................................... 14.07 ii This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 6 June 2008. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. 6 JUNE 2008 SOMALIA FREEDOM OF POLITICAL EXPRESSION ........................................................ 15.01 Charter provisions in Puntland................................................... 15.02 Constitutional provisions in Somaliland.................................... 15.03 FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND ASSEMBLY ............................................... 16.01 FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA .............................................................. 17.01 Media institutions......................................................................... 17.02 Legal position and actual practice ............................................. 17.11 HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS.................. 18.01 Local human rights organisations.............................................. 18.01 International human rights organisations.................................. 18.02 FREEDOM OF RELIGION.............................................................................. 19.01 Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) ..................................................... 19.06 ETHNIC GROUPS........................................................................................ 20.01 Somali clans ................................................................................. 20.02 Rahanweyn clans ......................................................................... 20.09 Minority groups ............................................................................ 20.10 General security position for minority groups .......................... 20.17 Bajuni ............................................................................................ 20.20 Bantu ............................................................................................. 20.24 Benadiri and Bravanese .............................................................. 20.29 Hamar Hindi .................................................................................. 20.31 Midgan, Tumal, Yibir and Galgala............................................... 20.32 LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS............................. 21.01 DISABILITY ................................................................................................ 22.01 WOMEN .................................................................................................... 23.01 Legal rights ................................................................................... 23.09 Political rights............................................................................... 23.11 Violence against women.............................................................. 23.18 Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)................................................. 23.27 CHILDREN ................................................................................................. 24.01 Education ...................................................................................... 24.05 Child care ...................................................................................... 24.11 Child soldiers................................................................................ 24.14 Health issues ................................................................................ 24.17 TRAFFICKING ............................................................................................ 25.01 Human Smuggling........................................................................ 25.04 MEDICAL ISSUES ....................................................................................... 26.01 Overview of availability of medical treatment and drugs ......... 26.01 HIV/AIDS........................................................................................ 26.08 Hospitals ....................................................................................... 26.13 Provision of hospital care by region as reflected in JFFMR .... 26.15 Private sector and NGO provision.............................................. 26.16 Mental health care ........................................................................ 26.17 FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT........................................................................... 27.01 External movement ...................................................................... 27.07 Somali Refugees .......................................................................... 27.11 INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE (IDPS) .................................................... 28.01 RETURNING REFUGEES ............................................................................. 29.01 UNHCR position on the return of rejected asylum seekers ..... 29.04 CITIZENSHIP AND NATIONALITY .................................................................. 30.01 EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS................................................................................ 31.01 Trade Unions and the right to strike........................................... 31.01 Equal employment rights ............................................................ 31.02 Forced labour ............................................................................... 31.03 This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at iii 6 June 2008. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. 6 JUNE 2008 SOMALIA Child labour .................................................................................. 31.05 Annexes Annex A – Chronology of major events