Hiiraan Online

 

Mogadishu (HOL) - The Somali government, led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, faces considerable challenges in maintaining law and order throughout the nation, as stated in the US State Department's 2022 Somalia Report on Human Rights Practices. According to the report, many regions remain outside government control, with the insurgent group al-Shabaab contesting governmental authority. The government also faces accusations of numerous human rights abuses, including unlawful killings, torture, and arbitrary arrests.

The federal parliament, comprising the 275-member House of the People and the 54-member Upper House, was elected in March 2022. Although the parliamentary electoral process was widely perceived as tainted by corruption, both houses of parliament selected President Mohamud through a process regarded as generally fair and transparent. The report, however, highlights that citizens face considerable restrictions on political participation and the capacity to change their government via free and fair elections peacefully.

Credible accounts of severe human rights abuses are documented, including extrajudicial killings, dire and life-threatening prison conditions, enforced disappearances or abductions, and grave abuses in conflict situations. Furthermore, severe limitations on freedom of expression and media persist, such as violence or threats of violence against journalists, censorship, and the enforcement of criminal libel laws. Significant restrictions on the freedom of peaceful assembly and association are also evident.

Although the government has taken measures to prosecute and penalize officials who committed abuses, particularly military and police personnel, impunity remains widespread. The report indicates that conflicts involving the government, militias, and al-Shabaab have resulted in civilian death, injury, and displacement. Al-Shabaab is responsible for most severe human rights abuses, including terrorist attacks on civilians and targeted killings.

The report also documents grave abuses committed by government security forces, such as torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Government authorities did not always maintain effective control over these security forces. Moreover, federal and state security force members reportedly committed numerous abuses.

Discrimination against women and girls remains an issue, with female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) and gender-based violence persisting. Additionally, the struggles of internally displaced persons are highlighted, as they lack adequate access to housing, healthcare, and education. Both the government and non-state actors have failed to provide sufficient protection and assistance to these vulnerable populations.

The report emphasizes the challenges Somalia faces in addressing these issues, including ineffective government control over many regions and the pervasiveness of corruption. The report concludes that significant improvements are needed for the government to uphold its citizens' human rights and address the ongoing political unrest in the country.