Somalia Passport

[Country Name] The Federal Republic of Somalia.

【 Area 】 637657 square kilometers.

Population: 18.14 million (2023). The vast majority are Somali ethnic groups, divided into two major ethnic groups: Samalai and Sabu. Among them, the Samarai clan accounts for more than 80% of the national population, which is divided into four major tribes: Darud, Haveye, Isaac and Dir. The Sabu ethnic group is divided into two major tribes, Dijir and Rahanwen. The official languages are Somali and Arabic, while English and Italian are commonly used. Islam is the state religion, and Muslims make up 99% of the total population.

【 Capital 】 Mogadishu, with a population of 2.61 million (2022). The average temperature during the hot season is 26 ℃ -32 ℃, and the average temperature during the cool season is 23 ℃ -28 ℃.

President Hassan Sheikh Mahmud was elected on May 16, 2022 and sworn in on June 9.

[Important Festival] Independence Day: June 26th (Independence of Northern Somalia); National Day: July 1st (the independence of southern Somalia and the merger of southern and northern Somalia to form the Republic of Somalia on the same day).

【 Overview 】 Located on the Somali Peninsula, the easternmost part of the African continent, it borders the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east and south, Kenya and Ethiopia to the west, and Djibouti to the northwest. The coastline is 3300 kilometers long. Most areas have a tropical desert climate, while the southwest has a tropical grassland climate, with high temperatures throughout the year and dry conditions with little rainfall.

In over 1700 BC, the Horn of Africa saw the emergence of the "Bont" country known for producing spices. Since the 7th century AD, Arabs and Persians have continuously migrated here and established trading points and several sultanates. In 1887, northern Somalia became a British "protectorate" (British Somalia). In 1925, southern Somalia became an Italian colony (Italian Somalia). In 1941, Britain took control of the entire Somalia. On June 26, 1960, northern Somalia gained independence, and on July 1, southern Somalia gained independence. On the same day, the north and south merged to form the Republic of Somalia. In 1969, the commander of the Somali National Army, Mohamed Siad Barre, staged a coup and came to power, establishing the Somali Democratic Republic. In January 1991, the Siad regime was overthrown and Somalia fell into civil war, with multiple regimes coexisting. In February of the same year, Ali Mehdi Mohamed established a new government and appointed himself as the "interim president". In May of the same year, northern Somalia declared "independence" and established the "Republic of Somaliland". In June 1995, Mohamed Farah Aideed, the leader of the largest armed faction in Somalia at the time, the Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Commission, announced the establishment of an interim government in Mogadishu and appointed himself as the "President". In August 1996, Hussein Mohamed Aideed, son of Aideed, succeeded him as the "interim government president" after his death. In July 1998, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed established and served as the chairman of the "Bontland" government in northeastern Somalia. The autonomous regime did not seek independence and recognized it as part of Somalia. In August 2000, Djibouti hosted the Somali National Reconciliation Conference (Arta Conference) and elected a three-year transitional national government, with Abdiqasim Salad Hassan as president, but was boycotted by factions within Somalia. In March 2002, the Rahaweyn Resistance Army announced the establishment of the "Southwestern State of Somalia", which later merged into the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and no longer sought autonomy. The above-mentioned regimes established since February 1991 have not been recognized by the international community.

In order to end the warlord regime in Somalia, the international community has held 13 national reconciliation conferences, but none have been successful. In October 2002, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IPCC) of East Africa held the 14th Somali National Reconciliation Conference in Kenya. On February 23, 2004, representatives of various separatist forces, political groups, and civil organizations in Somalia passed the Transitional Charter. On October 10 of the same year, the Somali Transitional Council elected Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed as the President of the Somali Transitional Federal Government in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, for a term of five years. On January 15, 2005, the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia was officially established and relocated back to Somalia in June of the same year. In December 2006, the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, supported by the Ethiopian army, defeated the anti-government "Islamic Courts Union" armed group and took control of the capital Mogadishu and surrounding areas, but failed to achieve effective control over the entire territory of Somalia. On December 29, 2008, President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed resigned. On January 31, 2009, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the leader of the main opposition group, the Alliance for the Re Liberation of Somalia, was elected as the new president of Somalia, appointing Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke as prime minister and establishing a new transitional government. The anti-government armed groups, the Somali Youth Party (Shabab) and the Islamic Party, refused to engage in dialogue with the transitional government and armed themselves to occupy most of Mogadishu and most of central southern Somalia, assassinating several government officials and causing a large number of casualties. The transitional government, with the support of the African Union Mission in Somalia (Somalia), has held onto some neighborhoods in Mogadishu and parts of central Somalia, resulting in a stalemate between the two sides. On March 15, 2010, the transitional government reached an agreement with the important armed faction in Somalia, the Sunni Alliance, which announced its accession to the government. In June 2011, Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden reached the Kampala Accord on extending the transition period through Uganda's mediation, unanimously agreeing to extend the transition period until August 2012. On September 10, 2012, Hassan Sheikh Mahmud was elected as the President of Somalia. In November of the same year, Somalia ended its 8-year political transition period and established its first formal government in 21 years since the outbreak of the civil war. In September 2016, Somalia launched a new parliamentary election. On December 27th of the same year, the 10th Federal Parliament was sworn in in in Mogadishu. On February 8, 2017, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed defeated incumbent President Mahmoud in the presidential election held by the joint session of the Federal Parliament and was elected as the new president of Somalia. On the 23rd of the same month, President Mohammed appointed Hassan Ali Khayre as the Prime Minister of the Federal Government. On July 25, 2020, the Federal Parliament of Somalia dismissed Prime Minister Sohail and on September 23, nominated the new Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble through President Mohamed. On May 16, 2022, former President Mahmoud defeated current President Mohammed and was successfully elected as president. On June 15th, President Mahmoud appointed Hamza Abdi Barre as Prime Minister.

The current constitution is the "Interim Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia" passed by the Somali National Constituent Assembly on August 1, 2012, which stipulates the implementation of a political and federal system of separation of legislative, executive, and judicial powers in Somalia, clarifies that everyone is equal, and citizens enjoy basic rights such as speech, publication, assembly, and association; The President is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the military, holding real power and elected by the Federal Parliament for a term of 4 years without clear term limits; The Prime Minister is appointed by the President as the head of the federal government, responsible for appointing Deputy Prime Ministers, various ministers, state ministers, and deputy ministers. Non members of parliament may also serve as ministerial level officials; Judicial independence, establishing a three-level court system consisting of constitutional courts, federal courts, and state courts; The national security department is composed of the military, intelligence, police, and prison departments.

According to the interim constitution, the Federal Parliament exercises federal legislative power and implements a bicameral system, consisting of the House of the People and the Upper House, which are not subordinate to each other. Members of parliament have a term of 4 years and are eligible for re-election. There are 275 members of the People's House, and the number of members in the Upper House shall not exceed 54. Each house shall have one Speaker and two Vice Speakers, who shall be elected by members of the house through anonymous voting. The Speaker shall not concurrently hold government or political party positions. In the 2022 federal parliamentary elections, the 275 seats in the House of Commons will adopt the "4.5 tribal decentralization model" (i.e. parliamentary seats will be allocated by the four major tribes and other sub tribes in a ratio of 1:1:1:0.5), with 14025 electors selected by 135 tribal elders as representatives of each tribe, and then one member of each tribe will be elected for every 51 tribal representatives. The current Speaker of the People's Assembly is Adan Mohamed Nur. 48 out of 54 seats in the House of Lords are evenly distributed among the 6 federal member states, while the remaining 6 seats are split equally between Somaliland and Bontland. The current Speaker of the House of Lords is Abdi Hashi Abdullahi.

President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud. In addition to Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, the cabinet mainly includes Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama, Deputy Prime Minister; Mukhtar Robow Abu Mansoor, Minister of Endowment and Religion; Hassan Macallin, Minister of Justice and Constitution; Ali Yusuf Ali, Minister of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation; and Dr. Elmi Mohamud Nur, Minister of Finance, Minister of Finance, Abduqadir Mohamed Noor, Minister of Defense, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Farah Sheikh Abdulqadir, Minister of Education and Higher Education, Mohamud Abdirahman Beena Beene, Minister of Planning and Investment, and Abdullahi Ahmed Jama, Minister of Port and Transport Affairs Ahmed Jama, Minister of Ports and Transport, Fardowsa Osman Dhore, Minister of Air and Land Transport, Mohamed Adan Moalim, Minister of Posts and Communications, Hassan Hussein Elaay, Minister of Animal Husbandry, Jibril Abdirashid, Minister of Industry and Trade, Minister of Industrial Trade, Abdisalam Abdi Ali, Minister of Public Works and Housing, Amina Hassan Ali, Acting Minister of Women's Affairs, Crisaaq Omar Mohamed, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Abdullahi Sheikh Ismael, Minister of Internal Security, and Mohamed Abdi Hayir, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation. Minister of Health Ali Haji Adan, Minister of Health, Ahmed Hassan Adan, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Daoud Aweys, Minister of Information, Minister of Information, Bihi Iman Cige, Minister of Labor and Personnel, Abdullahi Bidhan Warsame, Minister of Electricity and Water, Mohamed Barre Mohamud, Minister of Youth and Sports, Khadija AIMakhzoumi, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and others.

[Administrative divisions] The country is divided into 18 states, namely: Odal, Northwest, Toghdale, Sanaag, Soler, Barry, Nugar, Mudug, Galguduud, Hiran, Middle Shabelle, Benadir, Bakool, Bay, Lower Shabelle, Gedo, Middle Juba, and Lower Juba. Each state is further divided into several regions.

In 2012, a provisional constitution was formulated, which stipulated that two or more states could merge on a voluntary basis to form federal members. In 2016, the national federal member formation work was completed, forming a total of six federal member states, namely: Somaliland (consisting of five states: Odal, Northwest, Toghdale, Sanaag, and Sool), Bontland (mainly composed of Bari, Nugar, and northern Mudug), Galmudug (consisting of southern Mudug and Galguduud), Hillsherry (consisting of Hiraan and Middle Shabelle), Southwest (consisting of Bakool, Bay, and Lower Shabelle), and Jubaland (consisting of Gedo, Middle Juba, and Lower Juba).

[Main Anti government Forces] "Al Shabaab" (Shabab): formerly a youth armed organization affiliated to the Somali rebel "Union of Islamic Courts", it is mainly responsible for protecting the leaders of the organization and carrying out assassinations against foreigners. After the defeat of the Islamic Courts Union at the end of 2006, the Shabab took over its mantle and rapidly grew as the strongest anti-government armed group in Somalia, taking advantage of the weakness of the Transitional Federal Government and the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops. They once controlled most of southern Somalia and some neighborhoods in the capital city of Mogadishu. The organization aims to establish an extreme Islamic regime in Somalia, advocating for the implementation of strict Islamic law and launching holy wars against infidels and foreign "invaders". In 2008, it was designated as a terrorist organization by the US State Department. In February 2012, the organization announced its official merger with Al Qaeda and pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda leader Zawahiri. In addition to the armed confrontation with the Somali government and the African Union Mission in Somalia, "Shabab" also frequently carries out terrorist attacks within Somalia and in countries such as Uganda and Kenya. Since the second half of 2011, the organization has suffered heavy losses under joint attacks from the Somali security forces, the African Union Mission in Somalia, and the armies of Kenya and Ethiopia, significantly reducing its scope of activities. In July 2015, the "Shabab" launched a suicide car bomb attack on the Palace Hotel on the Mogadishu Peninsula, resulting in 15 deaths and over 40 injuries, including 1 death and 4 injuries to a security guard at the Chinese Embassy in Somalia. In October 2017, a car bomb attack occurred near a hotel in downtown Mogadishu, resulting in over 570 deaths and injuries, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in the history of Somalia.

Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud: President. At the age of 67, he obtained a bachelor's degree from Mogadishu National University of Science and Technology and a master's degree from Bacatula University in India. I worked at the United Nations Children's Fund from 1993 to 1995. From 1999 to 2010, he served as the Dean of the Somali School of Management and Administration. The Peace and Development Party was established in 2011. He served as the President of Somalia from September 2012 to February 2017. Failed to win re-election in 2017. Re elected as President in May 2022.

Hamza Abdi Barre: Prime Minister. Born in 1974, obtained a Bachelor's degree in Management from Yemen University of Technology in 2001, and an MBA from the International Islamic University Malaysia in 2009. Ba served as the Secretary General of the Somali Peace and Development Party (PDP) founded by current President Mahmoud from 2011 to 2017. From 2014 to 2015, he served as the Senior Management Advisor to the Mayor of Mogadishu. From 2015 to 2019, he served as the Senior Advisor to the Constitutional Affairs Department of the Somali Federation. From 2019 to 2020, he served as the Chairman of the Independent Border and Election Commission of Juba State. In December 2021, he was elected as a member of the People's House of the Federal Parliament in Kismaayo District, Juba State.

Economy is the least developed country. The economy is mainly based on animal husbandry, with a weak industrial foundation. In the early 1970s, due to excessive nationalization policies and factors such as natural disasters, the economy faced serious difficulties. In the 1980s, with the support of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, economic policies were adjusted and the economy briefly improved. After 1991, due to years of internal turmoil, industrial and agricultural production and infrastructure were severely damaged, and the economy collapsed completely. After the establishment of the federal government in 2012, efforts were made to develop industries such as infrastructure, public services, manufacturing, real estate, and building materials. The economy began to show signs of vitality, foreign investment began to enter, and a large number of overseas Chinese returned home, resulting in an improvement in people's living standards. In 2016, the federal government of Somalia formulated its first national development plan in 30 years, identifying priority areas for economic development, strengthening infrastructure construction, developing agriculture, fisheries, and animal husbandry, and establishing sound financial, tax, and audit systems. After President Mohammed took office, he actively implemented Somalia's national development plan, strengthened cooperation between the government and the private sector, and actively worked with the international community on debt reduction issues.

The economic indicators for 2023 are as follows:

Gross Domestic Product: 11.515 billion US dollars.

Per capita Gross Domestic Product: 717 US dollars.

Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate: 2.8%.

Trade currency name: Somali Shilling.

Exchange rate: 1 US dollar ≈ 23605 Somali shillings.

(Source: International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook Report)

The main resources include uranium, iron, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, lead, coal, etc. In addition, there are also oil and natural gas. Most of the mineral deposits remain undeveloped. The fishery resources are abundant, with a forest coverage rate of 13%.

Industry is mainly composed of small and medium-sized enterprises, with major sectors including textiles, leather, sugar, pharmaceuticals, tobacco, food processing, oil refining, electricity, and building materials industries. After the outbreak of the civil war in 1991, industrial production came to a basic halt.

There are 8.2 million hectares of arable land in China, accounting for 13% of the total land area. There are only over one million hectares of cultivated land. The main grain crops include sorghum, corn, wheat, cassava, and rice, while the main economic crops include cotton, sugarcane, bananas, coconuts, sesame, mango, myrrh, frankincense, and so on. Grain cannot be self-sufficient, and economic crops are mainly used for export.

Animal husbandry is the main economic pillar, with the output value of animal husbandry accounting for about 40% of the gross domestic product, and the export revenue of animal husbandry products accounting for more than 50% of the total export revenue. Mainly raising camels, cattle, sheep, etc., it is the country with the largest number of camels in the world.

【 Fishery 】 It has the longest coastline on the African continent and abundant fishery resources. According to the World Food and Agriculture Organization, the annual catch can reach 180000 tons, but due to outdated fishing methods and limited market sales, the actual catch is very small.

Transportation: The main mode of transportation is by road, without railways.

Shipping: The main ports include Mogadishu Port, Kismayu Port, Berbera Port, and Bosasso Port. Mogadishu Port is operated by a Türkiye company. In 2016, the bulk cargo throughput was nearly 720000 tons, and 128 container ships arrived at the port, handling 94400 TEUs. In 1997 and 1999, the European Union provided funding twice to upgrade and renovate the ports of Berbera and Bosasso. In 2016, the United Arab Emirates began expanding the Port of Berbera.

Air freight: There are 62 airports of various sizes, with the vast majority having rudimentary conditions and only 7 airports having paved runways. Mogadishu Airport is operated by a Türkiye company, and international flights can directly reach Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Djibouti, Istanbul, Doha, Kampala and Dubai. There are direct international flights to Addis Ababa, Djibouti, and Dubai in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland.

Communication: After falling into civil war in 1991, the communication industry was completely paralyzed. In recent years, some private companies have entered the industry. Fixed line telephones are underdeveloped, mobile communication is more advanced, and mobile payments are more common.

In 2015, the total external debt of Somalia was about 2.9 billion US dollars. In recent years, banks that were closed due to war have begun to recover. At present, the major banks in Somalia include the Central Bank of Somaliland, the Central Bank of Bontland (established in August 1999), the Somali Barakat Bank (located in Mogadishu, opened in 1996; its branches in the United States and Europe were closed after the "9/11" incident in 2001), and the Somali Malaysia Commercial Bank (located in Mogadishu, opened in April 1997). In March 2020, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank announced the decision point for reaching the heavily indebted poor countries program.

Foreign trade occupies an important position in the economy, but has been in deficit for years. The traditional export commodities are live animals, bananas, charcoal, and fish. The main imported materials are food, fuel, and building materials. The main export destinations are Middle Eastern countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, while the main import sources are India, China, Oman, Kenya, and others.

[Foreign aid] Foreign aid mainly comes from western countries, international financial organizations and Türkiye. About 150 institutions provide humanitarian aid to Somalia. After the establishment of the Transitional Federal Government in 2005, it received assistance from some countries, including China. In 2012, with the establishment of a formal government and the end of the political transition period, the international community increased its attention and investment in Somalia. International assistance includes humanitarian, livelihood, and development areas.

Due to long-term wars, unstable public security, backward economy, and shortage of daily necessities, it is one of the countries with the lowest medical standards in Africa. The maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate both rank third globally. Dysentery, cholera, typhoid fever and other food and water borne diseases are common. The population using electricity only accounts for about 15% of the national population. Affected by climate change and outdated domestic infrastructure, droughts and floods occur frequently.

Affected by years of war, tribal conflicts, and disasters, a large number of Somali citizens have been displaced domestically, migrated overseas, or flooded into other countries as refugees. In 2019, there were 2.6 million internally displaced persons in Somalia. There are approximately 1 million to 1.5 million non Somali residents, mainly distributed in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Kenya, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and Norway. There are about one million Somali refugees in countries such as Kenya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Yemen, with one-third concentrated in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. The annual overseas remittance income reaches 3 billion US dollars.

In 1990, the total military strength of Somalia was approximately 64500 people. After the overthrow of the Siad regime in 1991, there was no unified national army for a long time, and various factions and tribal armed groups emerged. After the establishment of the Transitional Federal Government in 2005, efforts were made to establish a national security force. After the establishment of the federal government in 2012, the security forces, police, intelligence agencies were reorganized and pro government armed forces were incorporated. At present, the national security forces of Somalia are composed of the National Army (Army), Navy, Air Force, and Police Force. The army has a set size of over 18000 people, the special forces' Lightning Strike Team 'has a set size of 4000 people, and the police force (including the coast guard) has a set size of 32000 people. In addition, Somaliland and Somaliland each have their own armed forces, police and other security forces.

The education sector is lagging behind. In the early 1970s, the Siad government attached great importance to the development of education and launched a literacy campaign, which increased the literacy rate from 2% before independence to 60%. After the outbreak of the civil war in 1991, the national public education system collapsed and the illiteracy rate skyrocketed to 76%. In recent years, with the help of UNESCO and other non-governmental organizations, many regions have begun to rebuild schools. In September 1998, the Amaud University in the Avado region was completed, becoming the first university to open in Somalia since 1991. There are Somali National University and Mogadishu University in the capital city of Mogadishu. There is also a university in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland.

The official national news agency is the Somali National News Agency. The official television station is Somali National Television, which was re established on April 4, 2011. The official radio station is Mogadishu Radio. The main news websites include the Somali National News Agency website, Hiran Online, Garowe Online, etc.

We adhere to a foreign policy of equality among all countries, respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, and strengthening neighborly friendship.