Background
Somalia may be considered one of the longest standing failed states in the world today. Two decades of intermittent but fierce conflict, widespread fragmentation of the society, climatic hazards, massive displacement and questionable international interventions have left Somalis in a very dire situation. As a result of the past two decades of conflict, Somalia is now characterised by a significant displacement of populations, erosion of the rule of law and institutional collapse, a massive proliferation of small arms and light weapons, widespread use of landmines, in addition to high levels of food insecurity.

The vast amount of uncontrolled arms and ammunition, which are easily accessible to the majority of the Somalia society, help to sustain a culture of violence in which use of weapons is seen as normal and legitimate. This often results in the use of excessive force by one individual or group against another or the death or serious injury of innocents who become the victims of accidental shootings.

At the same time Somalia still suffers extensively from clan-based conflicts, piracy and the threat from militant Islamist groups resulting in a highly volatile environment with local populations caught in the middle.

Danish Demining Group’s (DDG) operations in Somalia are focused in and around the capital Mogadishu and the town of Galkayo, split by a “green line” between the semi-autonomous State of Puntland in the North and the self-declared State of Galmudug which claims Galkayo’s southern part.

Mine Action
DDG began interventions in Mogadishu in October 2007 establishing a Humanitarian Mine Action programme that provides mine risk education to local populations and internally displaced people, training local organisations in recognition of unexploded ordnance, surveying parts of the city contaminated by explosive remnants of war, compiling updated threat maps and facilitating disposal of unexploded ordnance. Later DDG began mine action interventions in and around Galkayo as well and by September 2011, DDG had:

• Conducted general Mine Action assessments in communities contaminated by explosive remnants of war in Mogadishu, Afgoye corridor and Galkayo
• Facilitated the marking or safe disposal of 2704 explosive remnants of war
• Completed 824 Danger Area Reports
• Compiled updated city threat maps for both Galkayo and Mogadishu
• Delivered Mine Risk Education to 247,177 beneficiaries

Community Safety
In June 2010, DDG began a comprehensive Community Safety Programme in Galkayo which includes the following activities:

• Building community capacity to enhance safety through participatory community safety plan processes and training of existing management structures to enable them to actively use the community safety plans to improve their safety situation
• Addressing small arms as tools of violence through A) production and distribution of safe storage devices for firearms (gun locks) to introduce a systematic firearm management regime, prevent thefts by criminal elements and restrict accessibility for children and others who are vulnerable to accidents B)firearms safety education for firearm owners and dependents to encourage safe behaviour when handling and storing firearms in order to prevent accidents and foster a wider ethos of responsibility
• Addressing immediate threats to life and limbs by explosive remnants of war through removal and destruction to prevent accidents and future use of these items as tools of violence and mine risk education for community members to teach safe behaviour in potentially contaminated areas
• Building capacity for conflict management and peace through conflict management education for community members to enable settlement of minor conflicts peacefully and discourage the use of armed violence
• Strengthening relationships between police and communities through advocacy activities and establishment of community-police dialogue forums

Impact
An October 2011 impact study completed in 10 target communities showed, among other things, the following impact of DDG’s Community Safety activities:

Reduced threats from small arms and light weapons and explosive remnants of war

• Reduction from 75% to 21% in people who worry about accidents with mines/explosive remnants of war or firearms
• Reduction from 78% to 39% in firearms-related accidents
• 94% of community members find that DDG's gun locks and firearms safety education have made their community safer

Reduced violence and conflict

• Increase from 12% to 65% in people who say that the level of armed violence in their community has reduced compared to one year ago
• Reduction from 43% to 33% in people who have had a violent encounter in the past twelve months
• Reduction from 42% to 12% in people who fear becoming a victim of a crime or violent encounter

Improved security provision and conflict management

• 84% increase in community trust in police
• More than 200% increase in community rating of police efficiency and accessibility
• 44% of community members find that conflict management has improved in their community after DDG’s interventions

The results are based on data from 2000 household questionnaires (1000 collected before DDG’s interventions and 1000 collected after) and participatory impact assessment interviews with 50 focus groups in DDG’s 10 target communities in North and South Galkayo. More detailed information is contained in the document which can be downloaded from the right side of this page.