Somalia

Somalia

Somalia is located on the east coast of Africa on and north of the Equator and, with Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Kenya, is often referred to as the Horn of Africa. It comprises Italy's former Trust Territory of Somalia and the former British Protectorate of Somaliland (now seeking recognition as an independent state). The coastline extends 2,720 kilometers (1,700 mi. Background notes: Geography, History, people, government, and more

2007 Reports:

2008 Reports:

  • Advancing Freedom & Democracy
  • International Religious Freedom
Highlights From Somalia
The Election of Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed

The United States Government congratulates Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on his election as president of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government. President Sharif has been a strong proponent of the Djibouti Process and has worked diligently on reconciliation efforts in Somalia. We urge President Sharif to reach out to the broad spectrum of Somalis who
reject violence and extremism in forming a new government. 

U.S. Support for Somali Peace Process

The United States welcomes the December 23 joint statement of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) expressing their commitment to the June 9 Djibouti Agreement and calling for urgent deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Somalia. The United States further welcomes the strong position taken by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in its December 21 communiqué, particularly IGAD's support for the formation of a new cabinet under Prime Minister Nur "Adde" Hassan Hussein and the establishment of a government of national unity.

ARS Chairman Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed's Return to Mogadishu

Nairobi, 11 December 2008- The U.S. government welcomes the December 10 return to Mogadishu of Chairman of the Alliance for the Re-liberation (ARS) of Somalia Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed's presence in Mogadishu, after an absence of almost two years, is a practical step in the creation of a meaningful unity government.

We urge all Somalis to support the ARS's efforts to effect, in active cooperation with the Transitional Federal Government, reconciliation through the Djibouti Process. We urge as well those groups and individuals who have opposed the peace process to join efforts to create a unity government and end the suffering in Somalia.

Alliance of Youth Movements to Hold Anti-Violence Summit Online

Nairobi, 2 December 2008 — Facebook, Google, YouTube, MTV, Howcast, Columbia Law School, the U.S. Department of State and Access 360 Media are bringing leaders of 17 pioneering organizations from 15 countries together with technology experts this week in New York for the first-ever conclave to empower youth against violence and oppression through the use of the latest online tools to promote freedom and justice and to counter extremism.

Unity Government in Somalia

The United States government welcomes the November 26 agreement of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) to further their cooperation in the establishment of a unity government. This development, which closely follows the productive meeting of the Joint Security Committee meeting in Kenya, represents another positive step in the Djibouti Process. 

Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

On December 10, nations around the world marked the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Tragically, the principles enshrined in that document, among them respect for the sanctity of human life, are rarely observed in Somalia, where indiscriminate killing is all too often the norm.

United States Honors Somali Woman as a Champion of Human Rights

Washington -- Ambassadors and other diplomats, members of Congress and leaders of nonprofit organizations gathered at the U.S. Department of State March 10 to honor eight women who have risked harassment and death to fight for women’s rights.

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