Politics of Somalia

The politics of Somalia is through the 1991 Somali Civil War marked. In the course of this, the country fell into different spheres of power, which are now fought over by clans and warlords. The Politics of Somaliland is different from that of the rest of Somalia in isolation, since to Somaliland unilaterally declared its independence 1991st Puntland has been a de facto autonomous region since 1998 , and Galmudug declared its independence in 2006 . From 2000 an internationally recognized transitional government existed , which tried to establish itself in the capital Mogadishu and in the rest of the country after the Union of Islamic Courts was ousted at the beginning of 2007 . In August 2012 the transitional government was dissolved and replaced by a federal government .

Map of the political situation in Somalia

history

For a more detailed account see History of Somalia .

The state of Somalia was created in 1960 from the union of the two colonial areas British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland . The first president was Aden Abdullah Osman Daar of the strongest party Somali Youth League (SYL). He was replaced after the 1967 elections by Abdirashid Ali Shermarke , also from the SYL.

In 1969 Shermarke was assassinated, and democracy ended when the pro-Soviet military under Siad Barre came to power . The Barre government initially leaned against the Soviet Union and tried to introduce "scientific socialism". In 1976 power formally passed from the military government to the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party , but in reality it remained with Siad Barre and his followers. In the course of the Ogaden War in 1977/78, the Somali government broke with the Soviet Union, since it was now supporting the opposing Derg regime in Ethiopia , and has since received support from the USA.

After the Ogaden War, dissatisfaction with the authoritarian government grew in various parts of the country and armed rebel organizations such as SSDF , SNM and USC emerged , which led to the overthrow of the Barre government in 1991. After that, however, no successor government could be established, and power struggles and civil war broke out. In 1992–1995 the UN and the USA tried unsuccessfully to restore peace through the UNOSOM / UNITAF interventions. Since then, Somalia has often been referred to as a " failed state ". In 1998, Puntland declared its independence.

In 2000, following peace negotiations in Djibouti, a transitional government was formed, which, however, was unable to prevail because it did not find the support of all warring parties. So Hussein Mohammed Farah and the Rahanweyn resistance army in Baidoa formed the "counter-government" SRRC . The interim president was Abdikassim Salat Hassan from 2000–2004 , followed by Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed , the former president of Puntland. The latter joined the transitional government, gave up its de facto independence and continues to strive for autonomy within Somalia. In 2005 the transitional government moved its seat to Baidoa.

In 2006, the Union of Islamic Courts gained control of Mogadishu and other parts of the country and militarily harassed the transitional government. Ethiopia, which saw the Union as a threat, then invaded Somalia and ousted the Union. The interim government moved into Mogadishu and tried to control the rest of the country. However, it had fallen into disrepute among parts of the population for its support from Ethiopia, and Islamist organizations continued to harass the democratic forces. While the Alliance for the Liberation of Somalia concluded a ceasefire agreement with the interim government in June 2008, in which the withdrawal of Ethiopia was agreed, al-Shabaab continues to fight for a state of God. Between 2009 and 2011 in particular, the militia was able to bring large parts of southern Somalia under its control. As a result, the capacity of the African Union peacekeeping force was greatly increased and in October 2011 Kenyan troops marched into the neighboring country. The joint action of government troops, local militias and the Kenyan army ensured that Shabaab was strongly pushed back.

In August 2012, for the first time, elections could be held based on a new constitution. Somalia was converted into a federal state that is said to consist of several states. In autumn 2012, the Somali federal government replaced the previous transitional government. Jubaland has been the first official member state of Somalia since August 2013, and since March 2014 there has been another with Southwest Somalia . The establishment of a state is in preparation in Galmudug , and talks are being held with Puntland about reintegration into the state system.

Elections and voting

Constitutional referendum in 1961

At the constitutional referendum in 1961, 90.56% of those who voted approved the new constitution.

In northern Somalia, where many in the whole of Somalia felt marginalized, the approval rate was below 50%, although this was of little consequence due to the small population of the north.

National assembly elections 1964

In the 1964 National Assembly elections, the Somali Youth League (SYL) won 69 out of 123 seats. 22 seats went to the Somali National Congress (SNC), 15 to the Somali Democratic Union (SDU), 9 to the Somali Independent Constitutional Party (HDMS) and 8 to other parties.

National Assembly Elections 1969

In the national assembly elections in March 1969, the SYL had 73 seats with 33.24% of the vote, the SNC 11, the HDMS 8, the Somali African National Union (SANU) 6, and the Liberal Somali Youth Party (PLGS) 3 and the SDU, with 2. 38.79% of the vote, split among other parties, which together won 20 seats.

Quite a few candidates had only joined a certain party for the election and then went over to the most successful parties. The SYL faction grew from 73 to 109 members by the end of May 1969. With the formation of a coalition with the 11 SNC MPs, the SYL finally got 120 of the 123 seats.

Political party	Share of votes	Number of seats
Somali Youth League (SYL)	33.24%	73
Somali National Congress (SNC)	9.89%	11
Somali Independent Constitutional Party (HDMS)	3.54%	8th
Somali African National Union (SANU)	5.37%	6th
Liberal Somali Youth Party (PLGS)	3.28%	3
Somali Democratic Union (SDU)	5.89%	2
Others	38.79%	20th

Constitutional referendum 1979

The main point of the new constitution was the establishment of a one-party state under the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party . The proposal was approved by 99.78% of those who voted.

2000 presidential election

In 2000, 238 participants in a peace conference in Arta, Djibouti, elected a president for the newly formed interim government. Abdikassim Salat Hassan prevailed after three ballots against Abdullahi Ahmed Adow, Ali Khalif Galaid , Ali Mahdi Mohammed and 12 others. In the first ballot he received 78 votes (33.19%), in the second ballot 124 (52.54%) and in the third 145 (61.18%).

2004 presidential elections

In 2004 the 275-member transitional parliament appointed a new president. After three ballots, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed was elected , who finally prevailed with 189 votes (70.52%). He won against Abdullahi Ahmed Adow, Mohammed Afrah Qanyare , Abdulrahman Jamma Barre, the re-running Abdikassim Salat Hassan, Mohammed Hassan Adow, Musa Sudi Yalahow , Osman Jama Ali and 18 others.

2009 presidential election

After Ahmed resigned in December 2008, new elections were held. As part of the reconciliation with the moderate Islamist opposition, the transitional parliament was previously increased to 550 seats. Fourteen candidates were elected in three ballots, most of which withdrew their candidacy after the first round. In the runoff election, the previous President Ahmed won with 293 to 126 votes against Maslah Mohamed Siad.

2012 presidential election

After the new constitution was passed in August 2012 and a parliament was put together, it elected the new president in September. There were a total of 25 candidates, among them again Sharif Ahmed as well as the Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament. The citizen activist Hassan Sheikh Mohamud won in the second round with 190 to 79 votes against Sharif Ahmed.

see also → Category: Election in Somalia

Political parties

In 1943 the Somali Youth League (SYL) was founded as the first political party in Italian Somaliland. Their goals were the independence and unification of all Somali regions, the creation of better educational opportunities and the modernization of society. It gained support across the country across traditional clan boundaries. Other parties that were soon founded, on the other hand, were mostly based on the clan or regional level, such as the Somali National League , which was the strongest party in the Isaaq clan in northern Somalia, the United Somali Party , supported by the Dir and Darod in the north, and some small parties.

After Siad Barre came to power in 1969, all political parties were banned. In 1976 the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party was founded as the ruling party and the only legal party ( one-party system ). Since its regime was overthrown in 1991, it has no longer played a role.

Then there were warring parties instead of traditional political parties. These are clans, warlords and their militias. Since the end of the 2000s, new parties have emerged, such as President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's Party for Peace and Development . Former Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's Tayo party has a social democratic and liberal touch, while there is also an offshoot of the Greens. The Daljir Alliance brings together the three largest Muslim parties.

Administrative division / areas

Somalia is officially divided into 18 regions called gobolada . However, this classification has only limited significance today. Since 2012, there has also been the official option for regions to merge into states. The aim is to legalize and legitimize the local regimes.

The regions of Awdal , Sanaag , Sool , Togdheer and Woqooyi Galbeed form the de facto independent Somaliland since 1991 . The de facto autonomous Puntland includes the regions of Bari , Nugaal and parts of Mudug and also claims parts of Sool and Sanaag. In 2007 Warsangeli- Darod declared the independence of Maakhir from Somaliland and Puntland in Sanaag . After the dissolution of the government and with the participation of its representative in the election as president of Puntland, Maakhir was absorbed in Puntland in January 2009. In the extreme south of the country there are the recognized states of Jubaland and Southwest Somalia . At the end of 2006, Galmudug , which controls parts of Galguduud and Mudug, declared itself independent - an official federal state is to be established here in the near future.

Human rights

In 2007, the organization Freedom House classified Somalia as “unfree” in terms of political freedom. When it comes to freedom of the press , the country is 172nd out of 180 states, according to Reporters Without Borders . Human rights violations were numerous and committed by various warring parties during the civil war.

houses of Parliament

After Somalia gained independence, the 90 seat Legislative Assembly of Italian Somaliland and the Legislative Council of British Somaliland with 33 seats were merged to form the National Assembly with 123 seats.

In 1979 a “People's Parliament” was elected, which consisted exclusively of members of the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party.

Since 2004, consisted Federal Transitional Parliament ( Transitional Federal Parliament ) with 275 deputies. The seats in the unicameral parliament were distributed according to clan affiliation, with the four large clans Hawiye , Darod , Rahanweyn and Dir each having 61 seats and 31 seats reserved for minorities. (The Isaaq were not represented as they mostly live in Somaliland, which did not participate in the transitional government.)

In August 2012 a federal parliament was elected in connection with the dissolution of the transitional government and the establishment of a federal republic in Somalia .

Foreign policy

Relations with the neighboring countries Ethiopia , Kenya and Djibouti have traditionally been tense, as Somalia claims to have parts of the neighboring countries inhabited by ethnic Somali ( see also Greater Somalia ).

Ethiopia in particular supported various warring parties in Somalia, such as the separatists in Puntland or Hussein Mohammed Farah and his alliance SRRC , who turned against the transitional government. At the end of 2006, Ethiopia invaded Somalia on the side of the transitional government against the Union of Islamic Courts and has had a military presence ever since. There are differences within the transitional government regarding attitudes towards Ethiopia.

Eritrea , which is hostile to Ethiopia, is also accused of stationing troops in Somalia and of supporting anti-Ethiopian forces in the country.

The regional organization IGAD supports the transitional government and the Ethiopian intervention in Somalia.

Membership in international organizations

Somalia, represented by the German government, is a member of the United Nations , the Arab League , the Organization of the Islamic Conference , the Movement of Non-Aligned States , the African Union , the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States .

Individual evidence

Web links

[1] ttp://www.somalia-aktuell.de/aktuelle_meldung.aspx?ID=37&Meldung=neues_parlament_und_neuer_staatschef_in_somalia_gewaehlt

[2] Countrystudies.us: Somalia - From Independence to Revolution; Problems of National Integration

[3] Reporters Without Borders: Somalia