.jpg)
.jpg)
Africa: Somalia
GOVERNMENT
A transitional government, the components of which are known as the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) was formed in 2004 following the conclusion of a 2-year reconciliation conference. The TFIs include a transitional parliament, known as the Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP) (formed in August 2004), as well as a Transitional Federal Government (TFG) that includes a transitional president, prime minister, and a cabinet known as the "Council of Ministers." For administrative purposes, Somalia is divided into 18 regions; the nature, authority, and structure of regional governments vary, where they exist.
POLITICAL CONDITIONS
In early 2002, Kenya organized a reconciliation effort under IGAD auspices known as the Somalia National Reconciliation Conference, which concluded in October 2004. In August 2004, the Somali TFP was established as part of the IGAD-led process. Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed was elected President of the TFG of Somalia on October 10, 2004. President Yusuf resigned on December 29, 2008, and Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was elected President of the TFG on January 30, 2009. The components of the TFG, including the Parliament and Executive, are known as the TFIs.
Two regional administrations exist in northern Somalia--the self-declared "Republic of Somaliland" in the northwest and the semi-autonomous region of Puntland in the northeast. In Somaliland, which is made up of the former British protectorate, President Dahir Riyale Kahin was elected in presidential elections deemed free and fair by international observers in May 2003. The area of Puntland declared itself autonomous (although not independent) in 1998 with its capital at Garoowe. President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole was elected by the Puntland parliament in January 2009. Puntland declared it would remain autonomous until a federated Somalia state was established.
U.S.-SOMALI RELATIONS
Although the U.S. never formally severed diplomatic relations with Somalia, the U.S. Embassy in Somalia has been closed since the collapse of the Siad Barre government in 1991. The United States maintains regular dialogue with the TFG and other key stakeholders in Somalia through the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Consular coverage for Somalia is maintained by U.S. Embassy Nairobi, while American Citizens Services in the self-declared Republic of Somaliland are provided by the U.S. Embassy in Djibouti.
