Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud led regime 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, militants al-shabaab still controls large swathes of land despite and their presence felt even in liberated areas. The government also faces accusations of numerous human rights abuses, including unlawful killings, torture, and arbitrary arrests.
The 275-member House of the People and the 54-member Upper House of the federal parliament were elected in March 2022.Despite widespread perceptions of corruption in the parliamentary electoral process, both houses of parliament chose President Mohamud in what was deemed a fair and transparent process.
However, the report emphasizes that citizens face significant barriers to political participation and the ability to peacefully change their government through free and fair elections.
The fragile Horn of Africa nation has not held a one-person, one-vote election in more than 50 years.
Extrajudicial killings, dire and life-threatening prison conditions, enforced disappearances or abductions, and grave abuses in conflict situations are all documented as credible accounts.
To onto that, severe restrictions on free expression and the media continue, including violence or threats of violence against journalists, censorship, and the enforcement of criminal libel laws.
Despite the government’s efforts to prosecute and penalize officials who commit abuses, particularly military and police personnel, impunity persists.Conflicts involving the government, militias, and al-Shabaab have resulted in civilian deaths, injuries, and displacement, according to the report.
The report also details grave human rights violations 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.
