Danish Immigration Service _______________________________________________ Report of the Nordic fact-finding mission to the Gedo region in Somalia 15 October – 30 October 1998 Copenhagen, July 1999 Nordic fact-finding mission to the Gedo region of Somalia List of Contents 1. BACKGROUND TO THE MISSION................................................................................................... 5 2. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................... 6 3. GEOGRAPHY, POPULATION AND ECONOMY ............................................................................ 7 3.1. GENERAL POINTS.................................................................................................................................... 7 3.2. NATURAL CONDITIONS AND CLIMATE...................................................................................................... 7 3.3. POPULATION.......................................................................................................................................... 8 3.4. CLAN PATTERN ....................................................................................................................................... 8 3.4.1. Garba Harre, Belet Hawa and Dolo districts................................................................................ 11 3.4.2. El Waq district.............................................................................................................................. 11 3.4.3. Luuq district ................................................................................................................................. 11 3.4.4. Bardera district............................................................................................................................. 12 3.5. INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS......................................................................................................... 12 3.6. INFRASTRUCTURE................................................................................................................................. 13 3.7. ECONOMY ............................................................................................................................................ 14 4. STRUCTURE OF POWER, ADMINISTRATION AND POLITICAL LEADERSHIP ............... 15 4.1. GENERAL POINTS.................................................................................................................................. 15 4.2. ADMINISTRATION AND STRUCTURE OF POWER ...................................................................................... 15 4.2.1. Development management groups (DMGs)................................................................................. 15 4.2.2. Councils of elders......................................................................................................................... 16 4.2.3. Marehan clans' ugaas.................................................................................................................... 17 4.2.4. Political leadership....................................................................................................................... 17 5. SECURITY SITUATION..................................................................................................................... 18 5.1. GENERAL POINTS.................................................................................................................................. 18 5.2. RECONCILIATION PROCESS BETWEEN AL-ITIHAD AND THE SOMALI NATIONAL FRONT (SNF) ................ 19 5.3. AL-ITIHAD............................................................................................................................................ 20 5.4. SOMALI NATIONAL FRONT (SNF) AND THE RECONCILIATION AGREEMENT ............................................ 21 5.5. SECURITY IN GEDO IN REGIONAL TERMS ............................................................................................... 23 5.6. MINE HAZARD ...................................................................................................................................... 25 6. HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION ......................................................................................................... 25 6.1. GENERAL POINTS.................................................................................................................................. 25 6.2. FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT..................................................................................................................... 26 6.3. LEGAL SAFEGUARDS............................................................................................................................. 26 2 15 - 30 October 1998 Nordic fact-finding mission to the Gedo region of Somalia 6.4. POLICE ................................................................................................................................................ 27 6.5. POLITICALLY MOTIVATED PERSECUTION............................................................................................... 27 6.6. ETHNIC/CLAN-BASED DISCRIMINATION ................................................................................................. 27 6.7. POSITION OF WOMEN ........................................................................................................................... 28 7. HUMANITARIAN SITUATION........................................................................................................ 28 7.1. GENERAL POINTS.................................................................................................................................. 28 7.2. FOOD SUPPLIES ................................................................................................................................... 29 7.3. HEALTH ............................................................................................................................................... 29 7.4. EDUCATION.......................................................................................................................................... 30 7.5. SOMALI REHABILITATION PROJECT (SRP) ............................................................................................ 30 8. REPATRIATION AND REINTEGRATION..................................................................................... 31 8.1. GENERAL POINTS.................................................................................................................................. 31 8.2. REPATRIATION OF REJECTED ASYLUM SEEKERS .................................................................................... 31 8.3. REINTEGRATION ................................................................................................................................... 32 9. INTERNAL FLIGHT ALTERNATIVE (IFA) .................................................................................. 32 10. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS CONCERNING THE SPLIT WITHIN THE SNF, THE PEACE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE SNF AND AL-ITIHAD AND THE CONFLICT IN KISMAYO..... 33 10.1. GENERAL POINTS ................................................................................................................................ 33 10.2. SPLIT WITHIN THE SNF AND PEACE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE SNF AND AL-ITIHAD.......................... 33 10.3. CONFLICT IN KISMAYO........................................................................................................................ 35 11. INDIVIDUALS, ORGANISATIONS AND AUTHORITIES CONSULTED ................................. 36 12. BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................. 38 13. ABBREVIATIONS USED.................................................................................................................... 39 14. LIST OF POLITICAL MOVEMENTS .............................................................................................. 40 15. ANNEXES.............................................................................................................................................. 41 ANNEX 1 ......................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. ANNEX 2 ......................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. ANNEX 3 ......................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. 15 - 30 October 1998 3 Nordic fact-finding mission to the Gedo region of Somalia ANNEX 4 ......................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. ANNEX 5 ......................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. ANNEX 6 ......................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. ANNEX 7 ......................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. ANNEX 8 ......................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. ANNEX 9 ......................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. ANNEX 10 ....................................................................................... ERROR!