Overview
Modern Somalia was established in 1960, when independence was established for the area from British Somaliland and an Italian colony. Since that time the country’s story has been a complicated and often violent one. In 1969 the assassination of President Abdirashid Ali Shermarke led to a coup by a Marxist military. The 1970s brought war with Ethiopia over the Ogaden region, which dragged in the Soviet Union and the United States. Civil war broke out and in 1991 the military dictatorship was overthrown. Various armed, clan-based factions began competing for power in the turmoil that followed, particularly in the south of the country.
The two relatively peaceful regions of Somaliland and Puntland, to the north of the country, effectively broke away in the 1990s and established separate administration, although sovereign status remains unrecognised internationally.
This century has seen various attempts to stabilize Somalia. A Transitional National Government was followed by the Transitional Federal Government. The Islamic Courts Union has fought various groups for control of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. Thousands of people have been displaced in the on-going violence. It was out of the ICU that the militant Islamist group Al-Shabaab came into being.
What it means to be a Christian in Somalia
Christians make up a tiny proportion of Somalia’s population. Sunni Islam is the official religion of state. Most Somalis believe that to be Somali is to be Muslim and often take their Islamist cultural norms with them when they leave the country (as many have during years of hardship). There are no church buildings in Somalia and Christians must exercise extreme care when meeting in groups. It is strictly illegal to evangelize. A Somali translation of the Bible was produced in the 1970s, but is illegal in Somalia and dangerous to own; hence distribution can only occur among Somalis outside the country. Today believers within the country access digital versions of the Scriptures.
Persecution
It is extremely dangerous to be a Christian in Somalia – particularly in the south. The Al-Shabaab terrorist organisation and other Islamist groups persecute Christians, as does the government. Known Christians are actively pursued and when discovered are likely to be killed.
Voice of Persecuted Christians work
Voice of Persecuted Christians supports Somali believers who have been forced to flee to Kenya.
