- Introduction
- Guidance note
- Common analysis
- General remarks
- 1. Actors of persecution or serious harm
-
2. Refugee status
- Preliminary remarks
-
Analysis of particular profiles
- 2.1. Persons associated with the government of Somalia and/or international actors
- 2.2. Individuals fearing recruitment by Al-Shabaab and deserters from Al-Shabaab
- 2.3. Individuals refusing to pay ‘taxes’ to Al-Shabaab
- 2.4. Humanitarian workers and human rights defenders
- 2.5. Journalists
- 2.6. Individuals (perceived as) contravening social or religious laws/tenets
- 2.7. Individuals involved in blood feuds/clan disputes
- 2.8. Individuals accused of crimes in Somalia
- 2.9. Minorities
- 2.10. LGBTIQ persons
- 2.11. Women and girls
- 2.12. Children
- 2.13. Persons with disabilities and severe medical issues
-
3. Subsidiary protection
- 3.1. Article 15(a) QD
- 3.2. Article 15(b) QD
-
3.3. Article 15(c) QD
- Preliminary remarks
- 3.3.1. Armed conflict (international or internal)
- 3.3.2. Qualification of a person as a ‘civilian’
- 3.3.3. Indiscriminate violence
- 3.3.4. Serious and individual threat
- 3.3.5. Qualification of the harm as ‘threat to (a civilian’s) life or person
- 3.3.6. Nexus/’by reason of’
- 4. Actors of protection
- 5. Internal protection alternative
- 6. Exclusion
- Abbreviations and glossary
- Country of origin information references
- Relevant case law
COMMON ANALYSIS
Last updated: June 2022
The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM)’s East Africa Counterterrorism Operation seeks to ‘disrupt, degrade, and deny victory to Al-Shabaab and ISS in Somalia and neighbouring countries’. As of January 2021, the US military troops in Somalia had mostly withdrawn from the country. [Actors, 1, 5.2.1]
AFRICOM was particularly engaged in drone and airstrike campaigns, in supporting the training of the Somali special forces, in supporting the development of the Somali National Security Architecture and of the revised Somali Transition Plan, and in providing operational, technical and material support to Somali military operations. [Actors, 5.2.2]
The airstrikes conducted by AFRICOM in 2020 to March 2021 resulted in militants’ fatalities (between 193 and 221) and reported civilian casualties, including fatalities. Many of these victims were ‘labelled’ as terrorists by AFRICOM although no evidence could be found about their being members of Al-Shabaab or otherwise directly participating in hostilities. [Actors, 5.2.3]