COMMON ANALYSIS
Last updated: June 2022
This profile focuses on electoral delegates in South-Central Somalia and Puntland.
This sub-profile should be read in conjunction with the Overview.
COI summary
[Main COI reference: Targeting, 6.4]
Electoral delegates, mostly elders, are the persons responsible to select members of the federal and state legislatures on behalf of their communities in indirect elections. They and their family members face targeting by Al-Shabaab who views the participation in any election as a crime against Islam. Al-Shabaab has for instance issued ‘private warnings’ and threatened to attack electoral delegates and to disrupt the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for 2021 [Security 2021, 1.1]. The group also killed electoral delegates involved with the Federal Parliament of Somalia, as well as the Hirshabelle, South-West state and Jubbaland legislatures.
Risk analysis
Electoral delegates could be exposed to acts which are of such severe nature that they would amount to persecution (e.g. killing).
In South-Central Somalia and Puntland, well-founded fear of persecution would in general be substantiated in the case of electoral delegates.
Nexus to a reason for persecution
Available information indicates that persecution of this profile is highly likely to be for reasons of religion and/or (imputed) political opinion.
See other topics concerning persons associated with the government of Somalia and/or international actors: