Somalia - Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Treaty

This report addresses Somalia’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights with respect to civic participation, analysing the contemporary situation in tandem with Somali civil society. Despite Somalia’s ratification of the Covenant, systemic barriers continue to restrict full engagement in democratic processes, undermining fundamental rights to political participation, education, and self-determination.

This report examines key concerns related to civic participation in Somalia, including (1) socioeconomic and systemic inequalities that limit democratic engagement, particularly for marginalised groups such as women and youth; (2) the lack of quality civic education, which deprives citizens of the knowledge necessary to participate meaningfully in governance; (3) political violence, including the influence of militant groups like Al-Shabaab, which actively obstructs civic participation through threats, assassinations, and manipulation of electoral processes; and (4) a culture of fear and political censorship, where arbitrary detentions and restrictions on freedom of expression further erode democratic engagement.

This report recommends that Somalia take concrete steps to uphold its ICCPR obligations by ensuring universal suffrage, expanding access to civic education, enacting policies to protect political participation, addressing socioeconomic disparities that restrict engagement, and implementing security measures to safeguard elections from militant interference.