Documents in Somalia and Sudan

Published: 5/Jan/2009
Source: Country of Origin Information Centre (Landinfo), Norway

Summary

This report gives an overview of various personal documents issued in Sudan and Somalia, including ID cards, national identity documents, passports, birth certificates and marriage certificates. While Sudanese authorities have established relatively good registration procedures, the situation in Somalia is very different. Although a Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has been established in Somalia, no agencies have been mandated to issue personal documents. Furthermore, there are no registries containing information which can establish the identity of individual citizens.

In Somaliland – the breakaway republic in the north-western part of Somalia which has failed to win the recognition of any country in the world – government agencies do however issue various documents. Lack of registration procedures and internal control mechanisms as well as corruption give serious cause to question the reliability of these documents.

Download: Landinfo_Personal Civil Records in Somalia and Sudan

Themes: Identity Documents, Birth Registration, ID Documents and Passports
Regions: Somalia, Sudan
Year: 2009