Somalia
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- transitional federal-parliamentary government: there is no permanent national government
- CONSTITUTION
- September 23, 1979
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- there is no national system; a mix of English common law, Italian law, Islamic law, and traditional Somali norms
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- unicameral, National Assembly
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- not operational: following the fall of the National Government, many regions reintroduced Islamic law and Somali customary law, with the possibility of appeal
RELIGIONS
Sunni Muslims
From the country
SEPTEMBER 9, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCED TO DEATH A SOLDIER WHO KILLED THREE BROTHERS
Somalia Military court sentenced death penalty to Hashi Ali Mohamud a Government Soldier who killed three brothers in June 2018 at Mogadishu’s Kaaran District.
SEPTEMBER 5, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: DEATH SENTENCES UPHELD FOR THREE CHILD RAPISTS IN PUNTLAND
An appeal court in north-east Somalia on 22 August 2019 upheld the death sentence for three men - Abdishakur Mohamed, Abdifitah Abdirahman and Abdisalan Abdirahman - convicted of raping and killing a 12-year-old girl.
SEPTEMBER 3, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES POLICEMAN TO DEATH
A military tribunal in Somalia sentenced a police officer to death on 2 September 2019 for killing a teenager in the capital Mogadishu in July, an official said.
- AUGUST 7, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
PUNTLAND (SOMALIA): MEN WHO KILLED MALTESE PORT MANAGER SENTENCED TO DEATH
The men accused of killing Maltese port manager Paul Formosa in Puntland last February were sentenced to death on 29 July 2019 by a military tribunal, Somali media report.
AUGUST 6, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: 2 AL-SHABAB MEMBERS EXECUTED BY GOVERNMENT
Mogadishu Military Court on 5 August 2019 executed 2 members of Al-Shabaab terrorist group responsible for separate attacks in Mogadishu which left many dead.
AUGUST 5, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: DAESH TERRORIST SENTENCED TO DEATH
A Somali military tribunal on 1 August 2019 sentenced a Daesh terrorist to death for his role in the killing of five people, including civilians and a security official, in separate shooting incidents in 2018-19.
- JULY 11, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: PUNTLAND COURT SENTENCES FOUR TO DEATH FOR KILLING
Somalia’s Puntland State military court on 17 February 2019 sentenced four young men to death while three others were handed fines after they were convicted of murder, Garowe Online reports.
- JULY 10, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA EXECUTES MILITANTS BY FIRING SQUAD FOR MOGADISHU HOTEL ATTACK
Somali government on 10 July 2019 executed three men in Mogadishu for involvement in the deadly siege at a hotel that killed at least 18 people and injured 48 in October 2017, Garowe Online reports.
- JULY 10, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: FIVE MEN EXECUTED BY AL-SHABAB FOR SPYING
Al-Shabab on 4 July 2019 shot and killed five men in Salagle town in southern Somalia.
JULY 10, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: AL-SHABAB EXECUTES MAN BY FIRING SQUAD FOR MARRYING DAUGHTERS OF HIS WIFE
A man who allegedly married the daughters of his wife before getting divorce was executed on 27 June 2019 by Al-shabab group in Somalia’s Lower Shabelleh Region.
JULY 9, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: AL-SHABAB PUTS TO DEATH FOUR PEOPLE
Al-Shabab militants put to death four people in the southern town of Jamame on 7 July 2019, immediately after the judge in an al-Shabab court declared them guilty.
- JULY 9, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB EXECUTES FIVE MEN OVER SPYING CLAIMS IN JUBBALAND
Al-Shabaab militia group on 3 July 2019 executed five Somali men in Hagar area of Lower Jubba region of Somalia on claims of spying.