Government and Politics of Somalia

Government Type

no permanent national government; transitional, parliamentary national government

Administrative Divisions

18 regions (plural - NA, singular - gobolka); Awdal, Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe, Jubbada Hoose, Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe, Shabeellaha Hoose, Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed

Legal System

no national system; Shari'a and secular courts are in some localities

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Somalia dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Executive Branch

chief of state: President Hassan Sheikh MOHAMUD (since 23 May 2022); note - Hassan Sheikh Mohamud previously served as president from 2012 to 2017 and was re-elected by the Federal Parliament in May 2022 following a prolonged electoral process delayed by political disputes and security challenges head of government: Prime Minister Hamza Abdi BARRE (since 25 June 2022); appointed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud following his election victory cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister, subject to approval by the House of the People of the Federal Parliament election results: Hassan Sheikh MOHAMUD was elected president by members of the upper and lower houses of the Federal Parliament, defeating incumbent President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (also known as Farmaajo) in the third round of voting; Hamza Abdi Barre was subsequently nominated as prime minister and confirmed by the Federal Parliament

Legislative Branch

Bicameral Federal Parliament, consisting of the Upper House (Senate) and the House of the People (Lower House). The Senate comprises 54 seats, with members representing the country's 18 regional states. The House of the People consists of 275 seats, with members selected through a clan-based electoral system. Seats in the lower house are distributed among Somalia's major clan families — Darod, Digil-Mirifle, Dir, and Hawiye — each receiving 61 seats, with the remaining 31 seats allocated to minority clans. Members of both chambers serve four-year terms. Somalia continues to work toward a universal suffrage voting system, with ongoing efforts to transition away from the indirect clan-delegate model that has governed elections in recent electoral cycles.

Judicial Branch

following the breakdown of the central government, most regions have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, either secular, traditional Somali customary law, or Shari'a (Islamic) law with a provision for appeal of all sentences

Political Parties

none

Head of State

President Hassan Sheikh MOHAMUD

Head of Government

Prime Minister Hamza Abdi BARRE

Cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by the Transitional Federal Assembly

Election Results

Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed, the former leader of the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia, was elected president by the Transitional Federal Assembly

Constitution

25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979

Independence

1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to form the Somali Republic)

National Holiday

Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland

International Organization Participation

ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8 May 1991); note - the TFG and other factions have representatives in Washington and at the United Nations

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya at United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, Nairobi; mailing address: Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: [254] (20) 363-6000; FAX [254] (20) 363-6157

Capital City

Mogadishu

Location

2 04 N, 45 20 E

Time Difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

History

several theories attempt to explain the city's name; one of the more plausible is that it derives from "maq'ad-i-shah" meaning "the seat of the shah," reflecting the city's links with Persia

There is no U.S. Embassy in Somalia. If you are going to live in or visit Somalia, please take the time to tell our Embassy in Kenya about your trip. If you enroll your trip, we can keep you up to date with important safety and security announcements. It will also help your friends and family get in touch with you in an emergency. Here’s the link to the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. Travelers to Somalia should register with the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. U.S. Embassy Kenya United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya Telephone: (254) (20) 363-6000 After-hours emergency: (254) (20) 363-6170 Fax: (254) (20) 363-6410 Email: kenya_acs@state.gov

Military Branches

National Security Force (NSF): Somali Army

Service Age and Obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service