COI-Report-Somalia

EASO Country of Origin Information report — South and Central Somalia — Country overview — 25
1.3.7 Al‐Shabaab pushed back, but not defeated (February 2012-Today) ( 92 )
February to October 2012: African Union and government forces recapture Afgooye, Baidoa, Kismayo and Wanla
Weyn.
August 2012: Inauguration of the new Somali Federal Parliament takes place in Mogadishu ( 93 ). Pro‐government
forces re‐capture Merka (south of Mogadishu) from Al‐Shabaab.
September 2012: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, a former political activist, is elected president.
January 2014: Al‐Shabaab increases attacks in Mogadishu.
February 2014: Al‐Shabaab militants attack the presidential palace in Mogadishu, leaving at least 16 people dead ( 94 ).
March 2014: Offensive against Al‐Shabaab by government forces and AMISOM leading to six towns (Xudur, Rab
Duhure, Ted, Weel Dheyn, Buurdhubo and Buulo Barde) being captured.
1.4 State structure and political landscape
1.4.1 Parliament, government, administration
The eight‐year political transition process of Somalia was successfully completed in 2012 as adopted in the ‘Roadmap
for Ending the Transition in Somalia’ in 2011 ( 95 ). The Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia
was adopted by the National Constitutional Assembly on 1 August 2012 ( 96 ). In May 2012, traditional clan elders
nominated and selected the 275 members of the House of the People of the Federal Parliament. Federal Parliament
members took office on 20 August 2012. In September 2012, the Parliament elected Hassan Sheikh Mohamud,
a former civil society activist, as president. Former Transitional Federal Government (TFG) President and 2012
presidential candidate, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, described the presidential vote as fair and conceded defeat ( 97 ). On
6 October 2012, President Mohamud appointed Abdi Farah Shirdon (‘Saacid’) as Prime Minister. He and his 10
member Cabinet were endorsed by the Parliament on 13 November 2012 ( 98 ). These moves raised new hopes for
a reconciliation and reconstruction process ( 99 ). On 2 December 2013, the Prime Minister lost a confidence motion
in the Somali Federal Parliament; a new cabinet under Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed was endorsed by
Parliament on 22 January 2014 ( 100 ).
According to the constitution, Somalia has a federal government. It establishes two levels of government, the
Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and, at regional levels, governments of the Federal Member States and local
governments ( 101 ).
( 92 ) BBC, Somalia profile -A chronology of key events, last updated 19 December 2013, (http://www.bbc.com/news/world‐africa-14094632) accessed 26 May 2014;
ACCORD, ‘Somalia: Al‐Shabaab: Chronology of Events since January 2012’, Ecoi.net [online portal], last updated 11 June 2014 (http://www.ecoi.net/
news/190134::somalia/126.al‐shabaab‐chronology‐of‐events‐since‐january-2012.htm) accessed 26 May 2014; BBC, Somalia parliament attacked by al‐Shabab
in Mogadishu, 24 May 2014 (http://www.bbc.com/news/world‐africa-27554498) accessed 5 June 2014; IRIN, Short‐term costs of military gains in Somalia,
21 March 2014 (http://www.irinnews.org/report/99817/short‐term‐costs‐of‐military‐gains‐in‐somalia) accessed 26 May 2014.
( 93 ) 93)BBC, Somalia profile -A chronology of key events, last updated 19 December 2013, (http://www.bbc.com/news/world‐africa-14094632) accessed
26 May 2014; UNPOS, Chronology of events (http://unpos.unmissions.org/Default.aspxtabid=9708&language=en‐US) accessed 27 May 2014; BBC, Somalia
parliament attacked by al‐Shabab in Mogadishu, 24 May 2014 (http://www.bbc.com/news/world‐africa-27554498) accessed 5 June 2014; IRIN, Short‐term costs
of military gains in Somalia, 21 March 2014 (http://www.irinnews.org/report/99817/short‐term‐costs‐of‐military‐gains‐in‐somalia) accessed 26 May 2014.
( 94 ) BBC, Somalia parliament attacked by al‐Shabab in Mogadishu, 24 May 2014 (http://www.bbc.com/news/world‐africa-27554498) accessed 5 June 2014.
( 95 ) The Roadmap, destined to establish more permanent political institutions and greater national security and stability in Somalia, was agreed between TFG,
the regional Administrations of Puntland and Galmudug, and the Ahlu Sunna wal Jamaa movement, facilitated by the UN Special Representative of the
Secretary General for Somalia. The Roadmap was adopted on September 6th 2011. UNPOS, Annex 1, Somalia End of Transition Roadmap, 6 September 2011
(http://unpos.unmissions.org/Portals/UNPOS/Repository%20UNPOS/110906%20-%20Initialled%20Roadmap%20(The%20Annex).pdf) accessed 29 May 2014.
( 96 ) Federal Republic of Somalia, Provisional Constitution, adopted on 1 August 2012 (http://unpos.unmissions.org/LinkClick.aspxfileticket=RkJTOSpoMME=)
accessed 29 May 2014.
( 97 ) US Department of State, Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2013 - Somalia, (27 February 2014), http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/
index.htmyear=2013&dlid=220158 accessed 27 May 2014)
( 98 ) UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary‐General on Somalia, (S/2013/69), 31 January 2013 (http://www.refworld.org/country,,UNSC,,SOM,,511b88532,0.
html) accessed 29 May 2014, p. 1.
( 99 ) Bertelsmann Stiftung, BTI 2014 - Somalia Country Report, 2014 (http://www.bti‐project.de/fileadmin/Inhalte/reports/2014/pdf/BTI%202014%20Somalia.
pdf) accessed 29 May 2014, p. 3-4.
( 100 ) EurA siaNews, Federal Parliament approves new cabinet nominees in Somalia, 22 January 2014 (http://euroasianews.com/
federal‐parliament‐approves‐new‐cabinet‐nominees‐in‐somalia/) accessed 28 May 2014.
( 101 ) Federal Republic of Somalia, Provisional Constitution, adopted on 1 August 2012 (http://unpos.unmissions.org/LinkClick.aspxfileticket=RkJTOSpoMME=)
accessed 29 May 2014.