On Friday, the president of the United States signed an executive order freezing entrance into the US from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days and suspending all refugee admission for 120 days. The countries banned are Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Sudan and Yemen. This order has caused outcry from human rights organizations, legal scholars, and the international community. This week Her Campus Lasell will feature an informational article on each country whose citizens have been banned from the US in order to increase understanding of the complex nature of these countries and their citizens.
Somalia
Demographics
Somalia, a country located in the horn of Africa, is bordered by Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Kenya. A large majority of the country’s inhabitants are ethnic Somalis, who tend to be based in Northern Somalia. Southern Somalia is mostly comprised of ethnic minorities. 99.8 percent of Somalis are Muslims, a majority belonging to the Sunni faction. There is also a well established Safi minority in Somalia. The fertility rate is the fourth highest in the world, with six children being born per woman. Somali and Arabic are the official spoken languages. The education system in Somalia is improving, specifically in the autonomous regions of Somaliland and Puntland, where free primary education has been introduced.
History
Human presence in Somalia can be dated back to the fourth millennium BCE. Once settled, Somalia became a successful trade port between the Indian and Arabian empires, and the Greek and Roman. In the seventh century, Islam was introduced in Somalia. From 1884 to 1920, the Somali people waged one of the longest anti-colonial resistances in Africa against British invaders. Somalia eventually succumbed to British air raids, and became British protectorate. From 1923-1945, Britain and Italy fought over the rights to the Somali land. Eventually, in 1960, Somalia was granted independence. However, violence ensued over land rights between Ethiopia, Djibouti (then known as French Somaliland), Kenya, and Somalia. In 1969 the Somali government was overthrown by a coup, and became the Somali Democratic Republic. In the 1970s, skirmishes between Ethiopia and Somalia broke out over land rights. The 1980s and 1990s saw a downfall in the Somali economy, and growing dissatisfaction with the military dictatorship. In 1991, the central government dissolved, and a civil war ensued. The UN intervened with marginal success. Transitional governments were created, and as of 2011, a permanent government has existed in Somalia. During the civil war, two separate groups declared independence from Somalia and created their own autonomous regions with their own governments. Somaliland and Puntland are not recognized as autonomous by the international community. A continuous war between the Somali government and the terror group, al-Shabaab, persists in Somalia.
Government
The current government in Somalia is a parliamentary representative democracy republic. The president is the head of state and commander in chief of the military, and the prime minister is the head of government. The parliament is a bicameral legislature composed of representatives elected to four-year terms. The national court functions on a three-tier system, including a constitutional court that provides legal legitimacy to the government.
Terrorism
In 2006, the Islamic Courts Union was beat out by a Somali transitional government for control of Somalia. Angry members formed an offshoot group named al-Shabaab, which soon escalated into a terrorist organization. Clashes between al-Shabaab and the Somali government continue to this day. al-Shabaab has been linked to al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIL, and other terrorist groups. They have used the struggling economic conditions in Somalia, as well as a 2011 drought, to enhance their recruitment. Their influence has extended beyond Somalia due to their use of the internet to spread propaganda, and attacks on civilians in neighboring countries have occurred. The UN and the African Union have assisted Somalia in fighting the terrorist group, and the group no longer holds any major cities in the country.
Human Rights
Human rights are guaranteed in the 2012 Federal Constitution of Somalia, however implementation has been slow due to continuous conflict and division in the region. In 2005, 98 percent of women in Somalia had undergone female genital mutilation. That number has decreased in the past 10 years due to education initiatives. Public awareness campaigns to protect children’s rights began in 2014. As the new government establishes itself, the stronger the country’s implementations of human rights commitments becomes.
US-Somali Relations
During the beginning Cold War, Somalia allied with the Soviet Union, closing itself off to the United States. However, as the Soviet Union began to disintegrate, US-Somali relations warmed. After the outbreak of civil war in 1990, the US closed their embassy in Somalia but maintained diplomatic ties. The US led diplomatic task forces in Somalia, and supported the creation implementation of the transition governments. In 2013 diplomatic ties between the two countries were officially restored, and 2015 John Kerry made the first ever visit to Somalia by a US Secretary of State. The US is one of the main supplier of arms to Somalia in their fight against al-Shabaab.
Sources:
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