Legal Narrative Concerning the Forcible Removal o6f the El Ali Meteorite (Shiid Birood)

Legal Narrative Concerning the Forcible Removal of the El Ali Meteorite (Shiid Birood)

Associated Killings, and Violations of Indigenous Cultural Rights in Hirshabelle State, Somalia

I. Introduction and Purpose of Submission

This submission concerns the forcible removal of a culturally significant meteorite, locally known as Shiid Birood (El Ali meteorite), from Hirshabelle State, Somalia, in early 2020, the killing of members of the Indigenous El Ali community during that removal, and a series of serious legal irregularities that facilitated the object’s export and attempted commercialization.

The case raises credible allegations of:

• Violations of Indigenous peoples’ cultural rights

• Arbitrary deprivation of life

• Destruction and illicit transfer of cultural heritage

• State complicity or acquiescence, including through falsified documentation and regulatory omissions

• Possible interaction between armed non-state actors (Al-Shabaab) and state administrative processes

This submission requests international scrutiny, clarification of responsibility, and protective measures to prevent further harm and irreversible loss of cultural heritage.

II. Description of the Cultural Object and Its Significance

Shiid Birood is one of the largest meteorites ever identified globally and has been physically embedded in the soil of El Ali, Hirshabelle, for centuries, if not millennia.

Evidence of its cultural significance includes:

• Extensive hammered facets across its surface, extending below ground level, consistent with long-term use as an anvil and source of meteoritic iron.

• Oral histories and continuous community use indicating collective possession by the Indigenous El Ali community.

• The regional toponymy itself (“Shiid Birood”) reflecting longstanding cultural recognition.

Under international legal and anthropological standards, such continuous labor and cultural use constitute ownership by possession and establish the object as cultural heritage, not an unowned natural resource.

III. Events Leading to the Removal of the Meteorite

Multiple Somali media outlets reported in early 2020 that Shiid Birood was forcibly removed from its impact site following violent confrontations with local residents.

Credible information indicates that:

• Members of the Indigenous El Ali community were killed while resisting the removal of the meteorite.

• The removal occurred in or near an area that subsequently came under Al-Shabaab control, which currently prevents independent access to the impact site.

These events occurred prior to the narrative later advanced by private actors claiming the meteorite was peacefully “discovered” by prospectors in April 2020.

IV. False Discovery Narratives and Misrepresentation of Provenance

Subsequent to the removal, individuals and companies involved in the attempted sale of the meteorite circulated a narrative claiming it was “discovered” on 5 April 2020 by gemstone prospectors near Beledweyne.

This narrative is contradicted by:

• Prior Somali media reporting documenting the violent removal of the stone.

• Video evidence and witness accounts later translated and reviewed by independent researchers.

• Internal contradictions in the sellers’ own accounts, which simultaneously acknowledge the meteorite’s cultural heritage while denying Indigenous ownership.

The misrepresentation of provenance appears to have been aimed at facilitating commercialization and export while obscuring the object’s cultural and legal status.

V. Irregularities in Licensing, Permits, and Documentation

The documentation presented by claimants to ownership contains multiple serious irregularities, including but not limited to:

1. Absence of a Valid Prospecting Permit for Hirshabelle

   • No evidence has been produced of a prospecting permit issued for Hirshabelle State, where the meteorite was located.

   • Available permits were issued for Galmudug, a different federal member state.

2. False GPS Coordinates

   • Official documents submitted to Somali authorities contain GPS coordinates that point to Qandala, a coastal village on the Gulf of Aden, far from the actual impact site.

   • These coordinates are not random and effectively detach the meteorite from its true geographic and cultural context.

3. Misclassification of the Object for Export

   • The meteorite was variously described as a “meteorite stone,” “meteorite rock,” and later a “sample.”

   • Under international trade norms, a “sample” implies no commercial value, contradicting simultaneous efforts to market the meteorite for millions of USD.

These inconsistencies suggest deliberate falsification or reckless disregard for legal requirements.

VI. Claims of Ownership and Denial of Indigenous Rights

One individual has publicly claimed exclusive ownership of the meteorite, asserting that he purchased it for USD 1,000,000 and paid an additional USD 500,000 “to Somalia.”

When asked who owned the meteorite prior to this transaction, he stated: “No one.”

This claim is incompatible with:

• Physical evidence of centuries of Indigenous use.

• The principle of ownership by possession recognized in legal theory and customary law.

• Constitutional and policy protections within Somalia for language, culture, and heritage.

The assertion that the meteorite had no prior owner effectively denies the legal personality and cultural rights of the Indigenous El Ali community.

VII. Role of the State and Armed Non-State Actors

The removal of the meteorite occurred in a context of armed conflict and insecurity, with subsequent control of the area by Al-Shabaab, which prohibits access to the impact site.

Despite this, the meteorite:

• Passed through state licensing and export procedures.

• Was granted documentation that obscured its true origin and status.

This raises serious concerns regarding state complicity, acquiescence, or failure of due diligence, particularly given constitutional and policy obligations to protect cultural heritage and Indigenous rights.

VIII. Applicable International Legal Framework

The facts described may constitute violations of:

• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) – Article 15

• UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) – Articles 8, 11, 25, and 31

• African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights – Articles 17, 21, and 22

• International standards prohibiting arbitrary deprivation of life

• Norms concerning the protection of cultural heritage in conflict settings

IX. Requested Actions

The submitters respectfully request that the relevant UN mandate holders:

1. Seek clarification from the Government of Somalia regarding:

   • The issuance of licenses and permits related to the El Ali meteorite.

   • The falsified GPS coordinates and absence of a valid Hirshabelle prospecting permit.

2. Urge an independent investigation into:

   • The killings of Indigenous community members.

   • The role of state institutions and non-state armed actors.

3. Call for:

   • A moratorium on sale, transfer, or alteration of the meteorite.

   • Conservation of the meteorite as an intact cultural object.

4. Affirm the cultural and ownership rights of the Indigenous El Ali community.

5. Recommend reparative and protective measures to prevent further harm.

X. Conclusion

This case is not merely about a meteorite. It is about the erasure of Indigenous history, the laundering of violence through administrative processes, and the failure of the state to protect cultural heritage and human life.

Shiid Birood is both a scientific object and a cultural archive. Its removal without consent, accompanied by bloodshed and falsification, represents a grave injustice that warrants international attention.

HANAHR Legal Research Team