Sub Saharan Africa
Somalia
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Still current at: 08 August 2008
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Updated: 23 May 2008
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This advice has been reviewed and reissued with an amendment to the Health section (prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Somalia). The overall level of the advice has not changed.
(see travel advice legal disclaimer)
Travel advice for this country
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Travel Summary
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We advise against all travel to Somalia because of the recent conflict between the Transitional Federal Government and the Union of Islamic Courts, the dangerous level of criminal activity and general internal insecurity. Although the Union of Islamic Courts is now largely defeated, tension remains high. We advise any British citizens in Somalia to leave.
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There is no British representation in Somalia. Somaliland is covered by the British Embassy in Addis Ababa whilst other parts of Somalia are covered by the British High Commission in Nairobi. We are unable to provide consular assistance in Somalia and if the situation deteriorates we will not be able to assist you. See the General section of this advice for more details.
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If, despite this advice, you decide to travel to, or remain in, Somalia you do so at your own risk. Westerners and those working for western organisations have been targetted in the past and this threat is ongoing. Most recently, two aid workers, one British and one Kenyan, were kidnapped in the southern region of Juba on 1 April 2008. See the Terrorism/Security section of this advice for more details.
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Piracy remains a major problem along the Somali coastline. See the Sea Travel section of this travel advice for further details.
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There is a high threat from terrorism throughout Somalia. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers On 30 November 2006, a suicide bomb killed six at a checkpoint in Baidoa. See the Terrorism/Security section of this travel advice for more details of other incidents.
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In the event that British Government employees travel to Somaliland on official business, they would be prohibited from using Ethiopian airlines flights to and from Hargueisa, due to security concerns.
- Should you decide to travel to Somalia against this advice, we strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and Travel Insurance for more details.
Safety and security
Terrorism/Security
We advise against all travel to Somalia. There is a high threat to Western, including British, interests from terrorism in Somalia. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
We advise against all travel to Somalia. There is a high threat to Western, including British, interests from terrorism in Somalia. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
Tension remains very high. Forces and militias in all parts of Somalia are fully mobilised. Fighting between the Union of Islamic Courts and the Transitional Federal Government, supported by Ethiopian troops, broke out in December. Although the Union of Islamic Courts troops are largely defeated the situation remains tense and unstable.
The incidents below highlight the threat posed by terrorism in Somalia and the capacity of terrorist groups to carry out attacks.
Serious fighting involving heavy weapons occurred in Mogadishu between 18 and 22 February 2006. There are reports that fighting in the capital on 10-11 July 2006 left 140 dead and on 4 September 2006 at least seven people were killed in clashes at Baidoa airport. On 30 November 2006, a suicide bomb killed six at a checkpoint in Baidoa. On 18 September 2006, also in Baidoa car bombs killed several members of the President’s convoy and killed and injured by-standers. There have been a number of mortar attacks within Mogadishu recently, including at the launch of the National Reconciliation Congress on 15 July 2007. Unconfirmed numbers of civilians of all ages have been killed in the violence.
Westerners and those working for western organisations have been targeted. Most recently, two aid workers, one British and one Kenyan, were kidnapped on the road between Saakow and Bu'aale in the southern region of Juba on 1 April 2008. On 28 January 2008, three aid workers, one French, one Kenyan and one Somali, were killed in the southern port town of Kismayo. A Spanish doctor and an Argentinean nurse were kidnapped from Bossasso, in the Puntland region of Somalia, on 25 December 2007. A French journalist was kidnapped from Bossasso on 16 December 2007. Previously, two expatriate workers from a western aid organisation were kidnapped in Puntland in May 2007. A western nurse and her escort were shot dead on 17 September 2006 and a western journalist was shot fatally on 23 June 2006. A US national working for UNICEF was kidnapped on 1 March 2006. On 18 April 2005, a Somali aid worker working for a Swedish charity was shot fatally in Mogadishu. A second aid worker was also seriously injured in what appears to have been a planned attack. A British BBC producer was shot fatally in Mogadishu on 9 February 2005.
A number of British nationals and Westerners have been killed and injured in attacks in Somaliland. The Somaliland authorities believe these were terrorist inspired. Two British nationals were shot dead in Sheikh in October 2003. In the same month an Italian aid worker was murdered in Boroma near the border with Ethiopia. On 19 March 2004, a Kenyan woman working for a German Government aid organisation was shot dead in an ambush on the Hargeisa-Berbera road. Her German colleague was injured in the attack. Several suspects have been detained for this attack and for the two earlier similar incidents. This latter attack resulted in the temporary withdrawal of international aid personnel.
In May 2004, a remote-controlled landmine was found planted in a remote airstrip in the south of Somalia. UN and European Commission flights to Somalia are consequently now much restricted.
The Somaliland authorities have established a Special Protection Unit (SPU) which accompanies all UN missions outside Hargeisa. NGOs and individuals can also apply for an SPU escort at a cost of US$4.00 per day (or US$7.00 per 24 hours). If despite this advice, you decide to stay in or visit Somaliland, you are urged to obtain details of this system and to ensure that, when travelling, they take adequate security precautions.
In May 2004, a remote-controlled landmine was found planted in a remote airstrip in the south of Somalia. UN and European Commission flights to Somalia are consequently now much restricted.
The Somaliland authorities have established a Special Protection Unit (SPU) which accompanies all UN missions outside Hargeisa. NGOs and individuals can also apply for an SPU escort at a cost of US$4.00 per day (or US$7.00 per 24 hours). If despite this advice, you decide to stay in or visit Somaliland, you are urged to obtain details of this system and to ensure that, when travelling, they take adequate security precautions.
In the event that British Government employees travel to Somaliland on official business, they would be prohibited from using Ethiopian airlines flights to and from Hargueisa, due to security concerns.
You should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.
For more general information see Terrorism Abroad.
Crime
There is a dangerous level of criminal activity by numerous bodies of armed militia throughout Somalia. As a result there is a significant level of armed robbery and there have been a number of incidents of kidnapping for ransom. Two people were reportedly killed in July 2006, after fundamentalists attempted to prevent spectators watching the football World Cup. A number of British nationals and Westerners have been killed and injured in attacks in Somaliland (see Terrorism section above). The Somaliland authorities believe these were terrorist inspired; however, the motives for the attacks have yet to be established. There are regular and sporadic outbreaks of inter-clan violence throughout the south of Somalia and especially in Mogadishu.
For more general information see Victims of Crime Abroad.
Political Situation
Local Travel
Sea Travel
Attacks of piracy and armed robbery against ships in and around Somalia's waters are frequent and continuing. The Department for Transport currently advise mariners to remain at least 200 nautical miles from the Somali coast when transiting between the equator and 08N latitude, and 100 nautical miles from Somalia’s northern coastline in the Gulf of Aden. However, pirates have been using motherships to attack shipping further than 200 nautical miles from the Somali coast (one reported in June 2007 at 240nm). Therefore, we strongly advise mariners to maintain a high level of vigilance and to exercise extreme caution when anywhere near Somali waters.
For more general information see River and Sea Safety.
Local laws and customs
For more general information for different types of travellers see Travel Advice Relevant to You.
Health
There are basic hospital facilities in Hargeisa. Elsewhere medical facilities are extremely limited or non-existent.
Polio remains a major problem in Somalia. With cases occurring outside of the capital there remains the risk of continued spread of wild polio both in Somalia and to neighbouring countries.
In the 2006 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 40,000 adults aged 15 or over in Somalia were living with HIV; the prevalence rate was estimated at around 0.9% of the adult population. This compares to the prevalence rate in adults in the UK of around 0.2%. You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see HIV and AIDS.
You should seek medical advice before travelling to Somalia and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date. For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit the websites of the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) and NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.
For more general health information see Travel Health.
Polio remains a major problem in Somalia. With cases occurring outside of the capital there remains the risk of continued spread of wild polio both in Somalia and to neighbouring countries.
In the 2006 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 40,000 adults aged 15 or over in Somalia were living with HIV; the prevalence rate was estimated at around 0.9% of the adult population. This compares to the prevalence rate in adults in the UK of around 0.2%. You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see HIV and AIDS.
You should seek medical advice before travelling to Somalia and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date. For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit the websites of the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) and NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.
For more general health information see Travel Health.
General
Insurance
If, despite our advice, you travel to Somalia, you should ensure that you take out adequate medical insurance before arrival and carry a comprehensive medical pack when travelling up country. Medical insurance should cover the cost of air ambulance evacuation out of Somalia in the event of serious accident or illness. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake. For more general information see Travel Insurance.
If things do go wrong when you are oversees then this is How We Can Help.
If things do go wrong when you are oversees then this is How We Can Help.
British Representation
There is no British representation in Somalia. Coverage of Somaliland is provided by the British Embassy in Addis Ababa: britishembassy.addisababa@fco.gov
Coverage of other parts of Somalia is provided by the British High Commission in Nairobi www.britishhighcommission.gov.uk/kenya.
Registration
British nationals planning to visit Somaliland in spite of our advice not to do so should register their presence with the British Embassy in Addis Ababa. This can be done by either contacting the Embassy direct or through the Africa Educational Trust (AET) office in Hargeisa; (tel: +252 213 4534; fax + 252 213 4501). Those planning to visit other parts of Somalia in spite of our advice not to do so should register with the British High Commission in Nairobi. You might also wish to register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency. More information about registering with LOCATE can be found here.
Money
Credit cards are not accepted in Somalia and it is not possible to obtain currency advances against a credit card. If you go, you should take hard currency, normally US dollars.
Travel advice for this country
See entire profile