Somalia is striving to strengthen its institutions and to improve the rule of law, however high levels of crime still persist. These include forms of complex crimes, namely extremist violence, organized crime, sexual and gender-based violence and corruption. In recent years, the Somali Federal Government has improved the fight against armed groups and made efforts to improve the capacity of the justice system to handle complex crimes. With the construction of a new prison and court complex, the bulk of extremist violence cases will be moved from military courts to be tried in a civilian criminal courtroom. In order to process these cases within a new court system, technical and advisory support will be necessary to ensure judicial capacity is in line with international standards.
With support from the United States Department of State, IDLO is implementing a project that aims to strengthen the institutional capacity of justice sector actors to address complex crimes in Somalia. IDLO will work with the Attorney General’s Office, the Somali Bar Association, and the judiciary to deliver specialized trainings on cases of extremist violence, corruption, money laundering, sexual and gender-based violence and organized crimes. IDLO will also provide technical and advisory assistance and will support the establishment of relevant specialized units within the Ministry of Justice, Attorney General’s Office and Office of the Prime Minister to coordinate the transfer of serious crime cases from military to civilian courts.