Safety in Somalia: what overland travellers should know
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 16 September 2026.
Safety
- Travel advised against — Because of persistent political instability, the risk of armed clashes and a widespread terrorist threat, the ministry advises against both travelling to Somalia and staying there, for any purpose whatsoever. Anyone who goes does so entirely at their own responsibility and is asked to plan the stay and every single movement with maximum care.
- Al-Shabaab — Al-Shabaab retains the capacity to mount high-profile attacks on government and civilian targets, and holds key strategic positions including the Shabelle and Juba river valleys, which matter for farming and trade. In Mogadishu the risk of explosions, rocket fire and more or less complex attacks on institutional targets has fallen over the past year, but it has not gone away.
- Islamic State in Puntland — In the north, in the federal state of Puntland, Islamic State in Somalia is active, with its action aimed mainly at the port city of Bosaso.
- Areas outside government control — The main urban centres are now held by the security forces, but parts of south-central Somalia remain under Al-Shabaab control and the group keeps carrying out attacks there, including against the local population. In those areas the risk is at its highest and both transit and any stay are advised against, on any grounds.
- Mogadishu Green Zone — If you are in Mogadishu, the ministry strongly recommends staying in one of the hotels inside the Green Zone, and sharing your own phone number and the hotel's with your embassy. Consular and emergency assistance is extremely difficult to guarantee anywhere in Somali territory.
- Floods — The whole country can flood during the rainy seasons, March to April and October to November, and the consequences are worst in the areas close to the two main rivers, the Shabelle and the Juba.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 16 September 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Somalia before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 16 September 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.