Published July 19, 2012 By Raphaël Jaeger Briefing CCPPR12SO Report available in PDF and Flash formats

Somalia has been suffering from the absence of a permanent and effective central government since President Barre was overthrown in 1991. Years of violence and natural disasters have led to the deaths of over 1 million people as well as the effective division of the country into three regions: the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, the semi-autonomous state of Puntland, and south and central Somalia where the Transition Federal Government is based. Terrorist organization al-Shabaab now controls significant amounts of territory, seized following the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops in 2009. The long-standing absence of authority has led to frequent pirate attacks on merchant vessels off the Somali coast.

Continuing insecurity, violations of human rights and restrictions imposed on aid agencies by rebels has aggravated the dire situation of the population. In 2011, 4 million people were deemed food insecure while tens of thousands fled to neighboring countries due to the worst drought in six decades. In September, the first airlift of UN aid in five years arrived in the capital, Mogadishu. As an upsurge of attacks created further destabilization, Kenyan troops entered Somalia in October to combat rebels they accused of having orchestrated several kidnappings of foreigners on Kenyan soil. The United States has also begun a campaign of drone flights over Somalia as part of the fight against Islamist militants.

Previous Profiles for Somalia: 2011, 2010

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Latest Update: 2012-07 Raphaël Jaeger
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