Somalia today

Somalia today has two rival constitutions, a federal government that half the member states do not recognise, a treasury that collects about 3% of GDP, and over 80% of court cases handled outside the state courts.

Why it matters: this is the starting point, meaning what a day-one government would take over.

Constitution and politics Horn Review, Apr 2026

• 2012: a Provisional Federal Constitution was adopted on 1 August 2012. It left shared and residual federal and state powers to be negotiated later.
• March 2024: Parliament amended chapters 1 to 4. It moved towards one person, one vote. It let the President appoint the Prime Minister without parliament's approval. It extended terms from four to five years and limited political parties.
• March 2026: Parliament approved chapters 5 to 15 on 4 March 2026. The President signed it as the "Official Constitution" on 8 March. There was no referendum.
• Two texts: the federal government backs the 2026 text. Dissenting states back the 2012 text.
• States: Puntland withdrew recognition on 30 March 2024. Jubaland suspended ties in late 2024. South West State withdrew in March 2026. That makes three of six. Galmudug, Hirshabelle and Mogadishu remain aligned.
• Terms: Parliament's term expired on 14 April 2026 without elections.

Treasury IMF, 2024

• Debt: debt relief under the HIPC scheme was completed in December 2023, cancelling $4.5 billion. External debt fell from 64% of GDP (2018) to 6% (2023).
• Revenue: $329 million collected in 2023. The 2024 target was $357 million, about 3.4% of GDP. Grants were about 64% of revenue plus grants in 2024. Trade and customs taxes are a key source.
• Money: the central bank has not issued currency since 1991. The economy runs on US dollars. About 73% of Somalis aged 16 and over use mobile money. Old shillings in circulation are mostly counterfeit.
• Revenue sharing: in 2023 the federal government, four of five member states and Mogadishu agreed who collects what. Talks with Puntland continued.

Justice and security EU Asylum Agency

• Three legal systems: state courts, customary law (xeer) and sharia courts run side by side. Over 80% of civil and criminal cases are handled outside the formal system.
• Courts: independent on paper, but the source reports political interference, clan influence, corruption, underfunding and weak enforcement.
• Security: the national army is described as poorly trained and equipped and infiltrated by Al-Shabaab. Special units backed by foreign partners do most counter-terror work. Some state paramilitary forces sit outside the constitutional framework. African Union forces (AUSSOM) remain.
• Somaliland: controls its own territory and runs statutory, customary and sharia courts under its own constitution.

ID World Bank, Sep 2025

• Baseline: fewer than 16% of Somalis had a government ID in 2022.
• Rollout: the national ID agency (NIRA) began mass registration in August 2025, aiming at all 3.5 million Mogadishu residents and 15 million people nationwide by the end of 2029. IDs come as a card, a phone wallet (eAqoonsi) or a QR certificate.
• Uses: opening bank accounts, social protection and online identity checks through the Hubiye platform. Hubiye serves 1.2 million people across 25 services, including every commercial bank. An identity-check (eKYC) law came in December 2024. UNDP
• Gap: NIRA estimates a $14 million funding gap for 2026. Mobile registration of displaced people cost under $1 each.