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1 1 (January 17, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govbcwz0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 01;0 riES- .$r: p\w -- , gnom goo mppm qq\ , q I as 11LIANJILiN, Updated January 17, 2020 Somalia Somalia has been plagued by instability and humanitarian crisis for decades. Since the collapse of the authoritarian Siad Barre regime in 1991, there have been numerous attempts to reunite Somalia's regions, clans, and sub-clans under a credible central authority capable of exerting territorial control and providing services and security for the Somali people. The formation of a federal government in 2012 was a turning point, but Somalia still faces considerable challenges on the path to stability. Over the past decade, international donors have expanded their engagement and increased their focus on development aid, seeking to build resilience to drought; bolster economic growth, access to government services, and political reconciliation; expand critical infrastructure; and improve governance and the rule of law. With the support of donors and an African Union (AU) stabilization force (known as AMISOM), the country has made progress: U.N. officials now describe Somalia as a fragile state, rather than a failed one. Political infighting, clan competition, corruption, and contradictory visions for Somalia's system of government all complicate the way forward, however, as does an enduring Islamist insurgency. Somalia has not held direct one-person one-vote elections in decades. Foreign officials nevertheless viewed the 2012 presidential election, in which parliamentarians elected the president after an internationally supported selection process and the adoption of a provisional constitution, as a credible effort to reestablish central governance. In 2013, the United States officially recognized the Somali government for the first time in 22 years, highlighting fragile improvements, both in terms of political developments and advances against Al Shabaab, an affiliate of Al Qaeda. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) also adjusted their positions on Somalia, making the country eligible for policy advice and technical assistance. The UK was the first Western country to reopen its embassy in Somalia, followed by China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and most East African countries. The United States reestablished a permanent diplomatic presence in the capital, Mogadishu, in late 2018. Somalia experienced a peaceful political transition in 2017, when the parliament elected former prime minister and dual U.S.-Somali national Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, aka Farmajo, to the presidency over the incumbent. Farmajo's government has been hamstrung by infighting, corruption, and tensions with Somalia's federal states. Competition among Arab Gulf states, which are among Somalia's largest investors and trade partners, has exacerbated frictions between the federal and state governments. These tensions may undermine U.S. policy interests in Somalia as the country moves toward elections expected in late 2020/2021. Figure I. Somalia Facts C ari taL Mogadishu - ,. Po.fatos II. Comparative areay siveA Official Kangages hioia frcr eian agais A1 S Life expectancy;S.?v~ Infant mortaiuty rat 9o t or sote citiado Source: CRS map. Data from CIA and IMF reference databases. Challenges to stabilizing and securing the Somali state are substantial. Military offensives by AMISOM and allied Somali, Kenyan, and Ethiopian forces facilitated critical gains against Al Shabaab in 2011-2012, pushing the group out of Mogadishu and other major southern cities and ports and depriving it of valuable revenue sources. Subsequent offensives reclaimed additional towns and key bases. Al Shabaab has proven resilient, however. It still controls parts of the country, earning revenue through taxes, including of the illicit trades in charcoal and sugar. Experts warn of mafia-style extortion by the group in government areas, including Mogadishu. Complex assaults on AMISOM bases have killed hundreds of troops and prompted the mission to realign forces, pulling back from some areas that insurgents have since reoccupied. Al Shabaab conducts frequent attacks in Mogadishu, likely seeking to undermine confidence in the government and its security measures. In 2016, a suicide bomber on a Somali airliner taking off from Mogadishu detonated a bomb concealed in a laptop computer (it did not destroy the aircraft). In October 2017, a truck bombing in Mogadishu killed over 500 people. Al Shabaab has demonstrated its ability to hit targets inside the heavily guarded Mogadishu International Airport complex with mortars, striking the U.N. compound twice in 2019. Many diplomatic facilities and residences are located in the complex, including the U.S. embassy. The assassination of Mogadishu's mayor in August 2019 by a suicide bomber who had infiltrated his office underscored Al Shabaab's ability to penetrate the government. See also CRS In Focus IF10170, Al Shabaab. Thirteen years after AMISOM's deployment, the timeline for its exit is uncertain. AMISOM and international partners are working to help build the Somali security sector so the mission can gradually transfer responsibilities. Various factors constrain the effort, including funding and donor coordination shortfalls, disputes between federal and state authorities, institutional underdevelopment, and corruption. K~:>

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