UN Independent Expert Isha Dyfan has issued a stark warning to Somalia’s leadership: resume constitutional reform now or risk plunging deeper into institutional instability and human rights violations.
Speaking from Mogadishu after a week-long fact-finding mission, Dyfan described the Somali state as “caught in a critical transition moment” with urgent reforms needed to stabilize governance and defend fundamental rights. She pressed the government to relaunch the stalled constitutional review process and pass long-delayed legislation protecting women, children, and minorities.
“Somalia must accelerate the constitutional review and adoption process. Delay only weakens legitimacy and fuels crisis,” Dyfan said bluntly.
While she welcomed progress in drafting four constitutional chapters in 2024, she criticized parliament for stalling broader reforms and failing to pass key human rights bills—despite cabinet approval. This includes laws addressing rape, child protection, and the banning of female genital mutilation.
A Fractured System
Dyfan’s message came as Somalia transitions from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to the new AUSSOM force and prepares for a UN mission handover by October 2026. Yet internal power struggles, recent federal clashes with Jubaland forces, and deep clan divides are undermining cohesion. Dyfan pointed to the entrenched 4.5 power-sharing system as a core obstacle to inclusive governance and gender equality.
Her warning was not just about politics. She highlighted a worsening humanitarian outlook, with conflict, drought, and underfunding leaving Somalis without access to schools, food, healthcare, or water. “Children are paying the highest price,” she said.
Signs of Hope?
Despite the grim outlook, Dyfan praised regional progress. Jubaland’s anti-FGM law and South West State’s disability rights act stood out as examples of proactive governance at the state level. She also welcomed ongoing Justice Ministry consultations on judiciary reforms, but warned that a lack of national urgency could derail the effort.
Dyfan’s warning signals growing international concern that without constitutional legitimacy, legal reform, and inclusive politics, Somalia risks deepening insecurity—and losing the fragile gains of the past decade.
