Quarter III 2025 — Human Rights Situation in Somalia
Prepared by: Coalition of Somali Human Rights Defenders (CSHRD)
Reporting period: 1 July – 30 September 2025
Executive Summary
During the third quarter of 2025, Somalia witnessed sustained and severe human-rights violations amid ongoing insecurity and political fragility. Major concerns included:
- forced evictions in urban and IDP settlements.
- alleged involvement of Puntland-linked actors in Sudan’s war.
- a dramatic shrinking of civic space.
- widespread violence against women and children; and
- the unjustified use of the death penalty by both the federal and regional authorities to suppress opposition, silence critics, and install fear.
CSHRD’s findings are supported by local monitoring, NGO documentation, and credible domestic and international reporting.
Methodology (CSHRD)
Data triangulated from CSHRD field monitors, partner CSOs (including HANAHR), victim/witness interviews, and open-source verification. Incidents were validated through at least two independent sources before inclusion.
Key Findings by Theme
- Forced Evictions: Somalia´s incumbent president HSHM is accused of being desperate and thirsty for money by his critics and that led him to exhume dead bodies amongst them ministries and other dignitaries from their graves, evict forcefully entire communities from their lands and IDPs too, only to sell their land to businessmen in Somalia. The evictions reached at unprecedented levels which prompted the Somalia Salvation Forum and lawmakers from both houses of parliament said Tuesday they will file lawsuits against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, his government, and senior officials, accusing them of constitutional violations, corruption, and human rights abuses, including forced evictions of poor families ¹.
The lawsuits are expected to be filed in Somali courts and international jurisdictions. The group alleged the government unlawfully amended the 2012 federal constitution, delayed state elections, weakened operations against Al-Shabaab, and carried out illegal land sales that displaced vulnerable citizens.
“The Federal Republic of Somalia is facing a sensitive political and constitutional crisis that threatens state-building, security, and the country’s political trajectory,” the forum said in a joint statement.
The Forum said the government has eroded public trust by pushing through controversial amendments first adopted in March 2024, which expanded presidential powers and strained ties with federal states. A deal reached last month between Villa Somalia and part of the opposition walked back some of those changes, restoring parliament’s authority to confirm or dismiss a prime minister and granting national party status to any political group securing at least 10 percent of parliamentary seats.
However, the agreement has divided the opposition. Four senior group leaders, including former Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke and former parliamentary speakers Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan and Mohamed Mursal, signed the electoral framework with the government. Other Forum figures, including Wadajir Party leader Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, rejected it, warning the president’s electoral timeline was “unrealistic under current conditions.”
It further criticized the government for failing to organize elections in Galmudug, Hirshabelle, and South West states, where mandates expired between 2022 and 2024, and for lacking a credible framework ahead of the 2026 transition.
The group had previously accused the president of attempting to extend his mandate, which is due to expire on May 15, 2026. In a September statement, the group said it would not accept any delay to elections and described the 2024 electoral law and the National Independent Electoral Commission as “a blatant deception.”
In an exclusive interview with the BBC on the day the potential lawsuit was announced, Mohamud ruled out extending his term in office and defended his government’s handling of constitutional reforms, saying Somalia must press ahead with one-person, one-vote elections despite mounting opposition and lawsuits.
The Tuesday statement said political disputes and mismanagement have weakened Somalia’s fight against Al-Shabaab. “We urge the president and government to end political disputes and mismanagement that have distracted from defeating Al-Shabaab,” it read.
The Forum’s lawsuit will also target what it calls the unlawful transfer of public land to private business interests and the forced eviction of families in Mogadishu and other regions.“These actions constitute corruption, abuse of power, and violations of human rights,” the statement said, warning that using security forces to expel women and children was a breach of both national and international law. In a statement earlier this month, the Forum accused the government of “selling public land while neglecting the fight against terrorist groups.”
The forum urged Somalis at home and abroad to organize peaceful demonstrations against what it described as widespread corruption and abuse of power. “The Somali people have the legal right to self-defence, and their unified voice is the key to safeguarding the country’s survival and future,” the statement added.
The press release was endorsed by the National Rescue Forum along with a broad coalition of members of parliament, civil society groups, academics, traditional elders, women, youth, the Somali diaspora, and business leaders.
Summary:
Forced evictions in Mogadishu and other regions persisted in Q3 2025, primarily targeting displaced persons in Daynile and Kahda districts. Evictions were often violent and conducted without due process or resettlement alternatives. UNHCR’s September 2025 update recorded multiple eviction incidents affecting thousands of families.
Impact:
Loss of shelter, livelihood, and increased GBV and child protection risks.
CSHRD Recommendation:
Immediate moratorium on forced evictions from IDP sites; lawful procedures, restitution, and humanitarian support.
- Puntland’s Involvement in Sudan’s War: Puntland’s alleged involvement in Sudan’s ongoing conflict has become a focal point of international concern, following accusations that Bosaso International Airport has been used to facilitate operations by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The Sudanese government has lodged a formal protest with Mogadishu, claiming that Puntland authorities have allowed the airport to serve as a covert logistical hub for the RSF.
According to Sudanese officials, the Foreign Ministry in Khartoum has launched an investigation and demanded an immediate inquiry into the matter. The RSF’s confrontation with Sudan’s national army—originally a power struggle within the country’s leadership—has since evolved into a full-scale humanitarian and security crisis, driving widespread displacement and cross-border arms flows that threaten regional stability. Control of strategic transit points such as Bosaso Airport, therefore, has become a key issue for both Sudan’s sovereignty and the wider Horn of Africa’s peace and security landscape².
Compounding the crisis are disinformation campaigns targeting Puntland, including allegations of United Arab Emirates (UAE) support for the RSF. Puntland’s relationship with the UAE, however, is long-standing: the UAE previously trained and equipped the Puntland Maritime Police Force during the height of the Somali piracy crisis, and its investments in Bosaso Port have been central to Puntland’s economy and trade links.
In response to these developments, the Sudanese government has reportedly filed a lawsuit against the Puntland administration, citing the RSF’s alleged backing as a serious threat to Sudan’s national security and regional peace. The legal action underscores growing calls for transparency and accountability in Puntland’s governance and highlights the need to safeguard Sudan’s sovereignty amid an increasingly complex regional security environment ².
Further complicating the picture, reports indicate that Colombian mercenaries have joined the conflict in Sudan, with some allegedly appearing in Somalia’s Puntland region. Many of these fighters were reportedly recruited under false pretenses—promised static security jobs in the Gulf but later deployed into active combat—raising serious concerns over foreign recruitment networks and the militarization of regional conflicts.
The situations in both Puntland and Sudan remain fluid, marked by investigations, counterclaims, and mounting diplomatic tensions. The path forward will depend largely on transparency, cooperation among regional governments, and a renewed commitment to peace and stability across the Horn of Africa.
Summary:
Regional and international media alleged that certain Puntland-based or Puntland-linked actors facilitated mercenary recruitment and arms transfers to Sudan’s warring parties, raising serious concerns of regional destabilization and breaches of international law.
CSHRD Recommendation:
Independent investigation and cooperation with UN and AU monitoring mechanisms; prevent Somali territory from serving as a conduit for mercenary or arms trafficking.
- Dramatic Shrinking of Civic Space: SJS and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Condemn Premier Bank’s Attempt to Silence Somali Journalist Abdalle Mumin
Mogadishu, Somalia / Washington, D.C., U.S. – 22 August 2025 – The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR) strongly condemn what they describe as an effort by Premier Bank to silence human rights defender and journalist Abdalle Mumin. Acting on behalf of Premier Bank—a major Somali financial institution with close ties to the Somali government—the UK-based law firm Taylor Hampton issued legal threats against Mr. Mumin, demanding he retract social media posts critical of the bank or face a defamation lawsuit.
Mr. Mumin, Secretary General of SJS and a long-standing partner of RFKHR, has spent his career advocating for press freedom and accountability for human rights violations against journalists in Somalia. His activism has come at a great personal cost. Since October 2022, when he criticized the Somali government’s restrictions on independent media, Mr. Mumin has been arbitrarily arrested three times, detained, and tortured by Somali state security forces.
In September 2023, SJS and RFKHR submitted a formal communication to the UN Human Rights Committee detailing these abuses. Shortly thereafter, and reportedly under government pressure, Premier Bank suspended SJS’s bank account—a move the organizations denounce as retaliatory.
Following sustained persecution, Mr. Mumin was forced to relocate to the United Kingdom, where he has continued his advocacy for Somali journalists and spoken out against corruption and the shrinking civic space in Somalia. Despite being abroad, he has continued to face harassment from powerful actors seeking to silence him.
Earlier this year, Mr. Mumin received a legal threat from Taylor Hampton, accusing him of defaming Premier Bank and falsely attributing to him articles exposing alleged corruption between the bank and Somali government officials—claims he categorically denies. The letter warned of severe financial consequences if he did not remove his posts and self-censor, a tactic widely recognized as a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP)—a legal tool used by corporations and governments to intimidate and silence critics ³.
Refusing to be silenced, Mr. Mumin, with the support of the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition and the Good Law Project, issued a legal rebuttal and filed a formal complaint with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), the UK body responsible for overseeing lawyers’ professional conduct.
SJS and RFKHR warn that such transnational repression tactics, disguised as defamation suits, pose a grave threat to freedom of expression and the safety of journalists worldwide. They call on the SRA to investigate Taylor Hampton’s conduct and ensure the firm has adhered to its legal and ethical obligations.
“Journalists and human rights defenders must be protected from attempts to suppress their voices through legal intimidation,” SJS and RFKHR stated. “Silencing dissent with the veneer of defamation law undermines the very principles of justice and accountability.”
Summary:
Civil-society organizations and human-rights defenders faced severe restrictions, harassment, and intimidation. Several CSOs were denied registration or subjected to arbitrary audits and closures.
CSHRD Recommendation:
Guarantee freedom of association and protection of HRDs; align national laws with constitutional and international commitments.
- Violence Against Women and Children: A mother and her daughters were raped and murdered in inter-clan vendetta (reprisals in Galmudug state of Somalia and the local set to hunt for the criminals who perpetrated the heinous crime and violence⁴. An unprecedented occurrence in Somalia.
Summary:
Conflict-related sexual violence and child recruitment remained widespread. Displacement and poverty continued to drive early marriage and exploitation.
CSHRD Recommendation:
Strengthen GBV services, enforce FGM/C bans, and hold perpetrators accountable.
- Unjustified Use of the Death Penalty
Summary:
Throughout Q3 2025, both the Federal Government of Somalia and regional administrations — including Puntland, Galmudug, Southwest, and Jubaland — carried out or authorized executions following deeply flawed judicial processes. Military courts in particular imposed death sentences for ordinary crimes, political dissent, or on vaguely defined “terrorism” charges without fair-trial guarantees ⁵.
CSHRD’s documentation and credible reports indicate that:
- Some executions followed confessions extracted under torture or coercion;
- Death sentences were used to install fear and deter political opposition, journalists, and human-rights defenders;
- Trials before military courts lacked transparency, legal representation, and right to appeal in civilian courts;
- Families were not notified before executions, violating international minimum standards.
Legal Context:
Somalia remains one of the few African states carrying out executions regularly. Despite commitments during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the government has failed to declare a moratorium or transition towards abolition. The death penalty is often justified under “security” narratives but in practice serves political ends.
Human-Rights Concerns:
- Violations of Articles 6 and 14 of the ICCPR (right to life, fair trial).
- Arbitrary and discriminatory application of capital punishment.
- Erosion of judicial independence and misuse of military courts against civilians.
CSHRD Recommendation:
- The Federal Government and regional states must immediately impose a moratorium on executions and commute all death sentences;
- Somalia should implement all outstanding UPR recommendations on judicial reform, rule of law, and abolition of the death penalty;
- Adopt Sharia-compliant alternatives such as Diyya (compensation to victims’ families) to ensure justice and reconciliation consistent with Islamic principles;
- Strengthen due-process protections and move towards full legislative abolition of capital punishment in line with Article 36 of Somalia’s Provisional Constitution.
Cross-Cutting Observations
- Impunity for state abuses continues to erode public trust.
- Overreliance on “security” rhetoric to justify repression of civic and political space.
- Inconsistent application of Sharia and constitutional principles — particularly in death penalty cases — undermines human rights and justice.
- Structural discrimination against women, IDPs, and minorities persists.
Recommendations (Revised and Expanded)
- Compliance with International and UPR Obligations
- Implement all outstanding UPR recommendations, particularly on freedom of expression, civic space, and judicial reform.
- Establish an independent national human-rights commission with enforcement powers.
- End the Death Penalty
- Declare an immediate moratorium on all executions.
- Commute existing death sentences to imprisonment or reconciliation-based alternatives (Diyya).
- Reform military courts to ensure civilian jurisdiction over civilians.
- Align Somalia’s penal code with international human-rights law and Sharia-compliant restorative justice.
- Human-Centred Security and Justice
- Integrate human-rights compliance in all counter-terror operations.
- Ensure transparent investigations into unlawful killings and torture.
- Protect Civic and Media Space
- Repeal restrictive media and NGO laws.
- Protect HRDs and journalists from retaliation.
- Gender and Child Protection
- Scale up GBV response and prevention programs.
- Strengthen legal action against FGM, early marriage, and child recruitment.
- Forced Evictions and Displacement
- Impose a moratorium on evictions without due process.
- Develop durable resettlement and compensation frameworks.
- Regional Accountability
- Investigate Puntland’s alleged involvement in Sudan’s war.
- Ensure transparency and international oversight of cross-border activities.
Sources:
- CSHRD field monitoring data (July–Sept 2025).
¹ http://Somalia Salvation Forum to sue President Hassan Sheikh over corruption and rights abuses
⁵ http://UN Urges Somalia to Suspend Executions | Dawan Africa | Dawan Africa
Annex: Urgent Actions for International Partners
- Support national advocacy for abolition of the death penalty and judicial reform.
- Provide technical support for rule-of-law and Diyya-based restorative justice frameworks.
- Increase protection funding for HRDs, journalists, and GBV survivors.
- Encourage UN and AU monitoring mechanisms to maintain scrutiny of Somalia’s use of capital punishment and extrajudicial executions.
