2. Actors of persecution or serious harm

COMMON ANALYSIS
Last update: August 2023

Article 6 QD

A wide range of different groups and individuals can be considered as actors of persecution or serious harm in Somalia. Examples include Al-Shabaab, security forces at the federal or at the states level, clans and their militias, families, etc.

The Federal government forces and the Federal member state forces, as well as other regional actors (state level darwish militias, clan militias, paramilitary groups, special police forces) as well as international actors, such as Ethiopia, Kenya, the United States (US), and African Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), all operate in Somalia and at times are not aligned and may compete at regional level. [Security 2023, 1.2., pp. 21, 23-24; 1.3.1., p. 25; 1.3.3., p. 31]

A crucial aspect of the Somali context is that ‘the boundaries of membership’ for all of the groups dealt with in this chapter constantly shift. Most individuals playing a role in the security situation are simultaneously members, to varying degrees, of multiple groups. In that way, the coalition of clans and business interests supporting the federal president largely determines the interest of the FGS. The militias and other ad hoc forces supporting the federal president find their action gaining legitimacy in acting as being part of the Somali National Army (SNA). Therefore, a given member of the armed forces may have three entities theoretically competing for his loyalty – the clan, the FMS, and the SNA/FGS. [Security 2021, 1.2., pp. 25-26]

The following subsections highlight the main actors of persecution or serious harm in Somalia in a non-exhaustive manner. Their approximate areas of control are outlined in the map included under Figure 3, in the Section 2.1. Areas of control and influence.