Somalia: Additional information on the treatment of Christians, particularly, Catholics in Mogadishu including the name and location of the Catholic Church in Mogadishu and the names of the bishop and/or priests in the period 1980-1991
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 October 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SOM30264.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Somalia: Additional information on the treatment of Christians, particularly, Catholics in Mogadishu including the name and location of the Catholic Church in Mogadishu and the names of the bishop and/or priests in the period 1980-1991, 1 October 1998, SOM30264.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abca84.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
A letter from Diocese of Mogadishu now located in Nairobi, Kenya, states that the Cathedral in Mogadishu including all buildings and institutions were destroyed (29 Oct. 1998). However, the letter does not state the date of destruction. The diocese is under the management of the apostolic administrator, Father Giorgio Bertin.
According to Country Reports 1981-1990, Christians and non-Muslims were allowed to worship freely but not to proselytize (1982-1991). Although members of minority religions did not "suffer overt discrimination, persecution or harassment," they did not rise to top level positions in government (1982, 1983, 275).
By 1986 there was only one single diocese in Somalia directly answerable to the Holy See, and the Catholic community was estimated at 2,000. The Bishop of Mogadishu was Monseigneur Salvatore Pietro Colombo (The Europa Year Book 1989, 2292). The same figure was quoted in Europa Year Books 1990-1991.
A News from Africa Watch report of 21 July 1989 states that on 9 July 1989, Bishop Salvatore Colombo, an Italian was murdered. According to the report,
The government stated that a lone man dressed in the clothes of a religious instructor was seen running away from the scene of the murder. However, there is widespread suspicion in Mogadishu that Colombo was in fact assassinated by forces within the government who suspected the Bishop of passing information about human rights abuses to foreign embassies and governments. The killing is thought by many in Mogadishu to have been carried out by two members of the President's own clan, the Marehan, leading to resentment about the apparent attempt to implicate religious figures...when the authorities learned of these rumours, they publicized a six million shilling reward for information leading to the identity of the assassin, both to quash the rumours and to create the impression abroad that the government was determined to apprehend and prosecute the offenders. The government also promised that the perpetrator(s) would killed (6).
This information is corroborated by an article in the August 1989 issue of Africa Research Bulletin, which adds that following the government's offer of a reward for information about the murder, there was an "upsurge in anti-white and anti-Christian feeling," in Mogadishu, because the government had not offered rewards "for information about the deaths of thousands of Muslims" (9347).
In 1990, the number of the Roman Catholic community in Mogadishu was about 2,000 but no other religious groups had a significant representation in predominantly Muslim Somalia. "Both protestant and Catholic houses of worship operate openly" (Country Reports 1991 1992, 350). By December 1996, however, the number of Catholics had fallen to an estimated 200 adherents (The Europa Year Book 1998, 3059). The position of Bishop of Mogadishu has been vacant since 1989 (The Europa Year Books 1990-1998). The names of priests could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please see below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series [Oxford]. August 1989. Vol. 26. No. 7. "Somali Democratic Republic."
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 1981-1990. 1982-1991. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government of State.
_____. 1991.1992. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government of State.
The Diocese of Mogadishu. 29 October 1998. Letter received by the Research Directorate.
Europa Year Book 1989-1991 and 1998. 1989-1991 and 1998. 30-33rd and 38th editions. London: Europa Publications.
News from Africa Watch [New York]. 21 July 1989. "Somalia: Tiananmen Square Revisited: Soldiers Shoot Demonstrators: Reprisal Killings and Mass Arrests Follow."
Additional Sources Consulted
Africa Confidential [London]. January - January 1987-1991. Vols. 28-31. Weekly. Nos. 1-25.
Five oral sources consulted did not provide information on the requested subject.
