Somalia | Human Rights Watch

In Hargeisa a Russian MiG fighter of the old Somali air force stands as a monument to the atrocities Somalilanders suffered during the Siad Barre era. Somaliland has struggled to maintain peace and nurture democracy in a volatile region.

© 2003 Getty Images

Somaliland: Fragile Democracy Under Threat
The Somaliland government's disregard for the law and democratic processes threatens the territory's nascent democracy. The administration of President Dahir Riyale Kahin has committed human rights violations and generated a dangerous electoral crisis.

AU Summit: Focus on Human Rights Consequences of Conflicts

Jan 22, 2010
Yemen: Asylum Seekers Run Gauntlet of Abuses

Dec 20, 2009
Kenya Recruits Somali Refugees to Fight Islamists Back Home in Somalia

Nov 10, 2009
Kenya: Stop Recruitment of Somalis in Refugee Camps

Oct 22, 2009

Reports

Hostile Shores

Abuse and Refoulement of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Yemen
"Hostages to Peace"

Threats to Human Rights and Democracy in Somaliland
From Horror to Hopelessness

Kenya’s Forgotten Somali Refugee Crisis

Somalia

AU Summit: Focus on Human Rights Consequences of Conflicts

Jan 22, 2010

The African Union should improve its strategies for civilian protection and accountability in its efforts to end ongoing crises on the continent. The AU will hold a Summit meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from January 25 to February 2, 2010.
African Union: Address Justice and Accountability

Jan 21, 2010

Human Rights Watch writes to African Heads of State in advance of the January 25 African Union meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Yemen: Asylum Seekers Run Gauntlet of Abuses

Dec 20, 2009

The Yemeni government should stop systematically arresting Ethiopian asylum seekers and forcibly returning them to Ethiopia. The United Nations refugee agency should do more to press the Yemeni government to meet its obligations toward all asylum seekers and refugees.
Kenya Recruits Somali Refugees to Fight Islamists Back Home in Somalia

Nov 10, 2009

In recent weeks hundreds of young men and boys from the Dadaab refugee camps have been secretly recruited for the force, lured with false promises of lavish pay and claims of backing from the United Nations and the United States.
Kenya: Stop Recruitment of Somalis in Refugee Camps

Oct 22, 2009

The Kenyan government should immediately stop the recruitment of Somalis in refugee camps to fight for an armed force in Somalia. Kenyan authorities have directly supported the drive, which has recruited hundreds of Somali men and boys in the sprawling Dadaab refugee camps as well as Kenyan citizens from nearby towns.
UN Human Rights Council: 'Traditional Values' Vote and Gaza Overshadow Progress

Oct 2, 2009

The UN Human Rights Council concluded its session with mixed results. The council adopted helpful resolutions on the human rights situations in Burma, Somalia, Honduras, and Cambodia and unanimously supported resolutions on freedom of expression, migrants' rights, HIV/AIDS, and access to medicines.
US: Clinton Should Stress Human Rights on Africa Trip

Jul 31, 2009

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should emphasize human rights on her seven-nation trip to Africa.
Letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Advance of Her Africa Trip

Jul 30, 2009

Human Rights Watch writes to Secretary of State Clinton in advance of her seven-nation tour of Africa to urge her to emphasize good governance, respect for human rights, and the rule of law.
African Civil Society Urges African States Parties to the Rome Statute to Reaffirm Their Commitment to the ICC

Jul 30, 2009

Recognizing our obligation to help protect human rights and uphold the rule of law, we, the undersigned civil society organizations, appeal to African ICC States Parties to reaffirm their support for the ICC and their commitment to abide by their obligations under the Rome Statute, particularly in relation to the arrest and transfer of the President of Sudan to the ICC.
Somaliland: Fragile Democracy Under Threat

Jul 13, 2009

The Somaliland government's disregard for the law and democratic processes threatens the territory's nascent democracy. The administration of President Dahir Riyale Kahin has committed human rights violations and generated a dangerous electoral crisis.