Somalia

Since 1991, clan warfare has besieged Somalia. Over the years, numerous efforts have been made to bring stability to Somalia. However, despite policies such as the Djibouti Peace Process of 2000, violence has continued unabated. [1] Today, Somalia hosts over 16,000 refugees,16,000 asylum seekers, and more than 2.6 million internally displaced persons. [2]

The Republic of Somalia is located in the Horn of Africa. It shares a border with Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Kenya, and touches the Gulf of Aden to the North and the Indian Ocean to the East. Mogadishu, the capital city, is in the southeastern part of the country, along the coast of the Indian Ocean.
In 1991, after the collapse of the Siyad Barre regime, [3] northern clans declared an independent Republic of Somaliland in the northwestern area of Somalia. Although not recognized by any government, Somaliland has remained stable, and leaders continue to try to establish a constitutional democracy. [4]
Puntland is a self-declared, self-governing autonomous state in the northeastern area of Somalia. There have been efforts to create a legitimate, representative government, but this has not been without civil strife. [5] There are border disputes between Puntland and neighboring Somaliland.

In 1991, the Somali government was overthrown by opposing clans. The clans failed to agree on a replacement for the national leader and Somalia plunged into turmoil, clan warfare, and lawlessness. Power struggles between clan warlords resulted in thousands of people being displaced, wounded, and killed.

In August 2000, clan elders and other lead figures appointed Abdulkassim Salat Hassan as president and set up a transitional government at a conference in Djibouti. [6] The goal was to reconcile warring militias, but, as its mandate drew to a close, the Somali administration had made little progress.

Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed

A two-year peace process, led by the Government of Kenya, ended in October 2004. During the talks, the main warlords and politicians signed an agreement to set up a new parliament. They elected Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed as President of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia, and formed an interim government, known as the Somalia Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs). The TFIs were created based on the Transitional Federal Charter (TFC), which suggested the government follow a five-year mandate leading to the establishment of a new Somali constitution and a transition to a representative government following national elections. [7] The new administration was Somalia’s fourteenth attempt since 1991 to establish a central government. [8]

The transitional government’s authority was further compromised in 2006 by the rise of militias loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts. These militias gained control of much of the south, including Mogadishu, after they forcibly removed the clan warlords that had ruled for the past fifteen years.
In September of 2006, the transitional government and the Union of Islamic Courts began peace talks in Khartoum, Sudan. [9]

With the backing of Ethiopian troops, forces loyal to the interim administration seized control of Mogadishu from the Islamists at the end of 2006. Islamists abandoned their last stronghold in January 2007, and President Abdullahi Yusuf was able to enter Mogadishu for the first time since taking office in 2004.

In February-March of 2007, Islamist insurgents fought back against the government and Ethiopian forces, regaining control of most of southern Somalia by late 2008.[10]
Ethiopia withdrew its troops by January 2009. As this happened, fighters from the Islamist radical militia group al-Shabaab took control of the town of Baidoa, formerly a key stronghold of the transitional government.

In late January 2009, Somalia’s parliament met in Djibouti to swear in 149 new members from the main opposition movement, Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia. The Parliament elected a moderate Islamist, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, president, and extended the transitional government’s mandate until 2011.[11] While not completely in control, the government continues to help build capacity to work toward national elections. In February, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke became prime minister.[12] A former diplomat, he is seen as a bridge between Islamists within the Somali government and the international community.

In May 2009, the government was set back again when Islamist insurgents launched an attack on Mogadishu.[13] President Ahmed declared a state of emergency and appealed for help from abroad. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said Ethiopia would intervene in Somalia with arms and support provided by the United States if the situation imposed a national security threat to his country.

African Union Presence in Somalia

On October 21, 2010, the African Union (AU) appealed to the United Nations for an air and naval blockade of Somalia.[14] The AU Commissioner for Peace and Security insisted that such an action was necessary to curb the flow of weapons to Islamist militants in the region, and also called for a total of 20,000 AU peacekeepers to be deployed to Somalia, up from the current deployment of 8,000 peacekeepers.

In 2011, the UN declared famine in three regions of Somalia.[15] Al-Shabab allowed the UN to deliver aid to Mogadishu for the first time in five years. The militants pulled out of Mogadishu later that year for “tactical reasons.” [16]

Somalia swore in its first formal parliament in over 20 years at the Mogadishu airport in August 2012. In September, MPs elected Hassan Sheikh Mohamud president in the first presidential election since 1967. Al-Shabab lost critical strongholds in Baidoa, Afgoye, Merca, and Kismayo that year.[17]

Al-Shabab fighters disengage and lay down arms

Violence by Islamist militants increased between 2013 and 2015. In 2013, Al-Shabab carried out attacks on Somalia’s presidential palace and a UN compound in Mogadishu.[18] The militants carried out attacks on Kenyan civilians in retribution for Kenya’s military involvement in Somalia. Over 120 Kenyans were killed between 2013 and 2014. In 2015, Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for killing 148 Kenyan students at Garissa University College. [19]

In 2017, the parliament elected former prime minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed as president. [20] While militants still pose a substantial threat to Somalia’s security, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, in 2017, that conditions were in place for Somalia to become a success story. [21] Nearly 50,000 Somali refugees returned from Kenya, but extreme drought displaced over 615,000 people since November 2016.[22]
In October of 2017, at least 300 people were killed in a double car bombing in Mogadishu after the United States conducted two unmanned drone airstrikes targeting ISIS militants in northeastern Somalia.

In December 2018, the U.S. State Department announced that the US re-established a permanent diplomatic presence in Somalia. [35]

In 2019 there were a series of attacks against Somali civilians. In July, a suicide bomb attack killed at least 6 people and injured 6 others, including mayor Abdirahman Omar Osman who died from his injuries in August. In December, at least 79 people were killed and 149 were injured after a car bomb exploded on the outskirts of Mogadishu. [35]

Somali insurgents, the transitional government’s armed forces, and intervening Ethiopian troops have destroyed the lives of tens of thousands of civilians throughout the country, particularly in Mogadishu, with bombings and crimes against humanity. These violations include indiscriminate attacks, killings, rape, use of civilians as human shields, and looting. More than one million people have been displaced, and aid agencies report that some 5.7 million people in Somalia are food insecure. [23] Attacks on aid workers severely limit relief operations and contribute to a humanitarian crisis.

A malnourished Somali child in an MSF treatment tent in Dolo Ado

The humanitarian crisis is due to ongoing conflict, violence, and more frequent drought. The humanitarian crisis is explicitly linked to climate change, among other factors. Human Rights Watch declared that 2.1 million Somalis face food insecurity, many of them internally displaced children. Many Somalis who are displaced face serious abuse, sexual violence, forced evictions, and limited access to basic needs. Al-Shabab continues to prohibit many nongovernmental organizations and all UN agencies from working in areas under its control. [36]

All Somali parties of the conflict have committed serious abuses against children. Women and girls who are internally displaced remain at risk of sexual and gender-based violence by armed men and civilians. The UN has documented over 100 incidents of sexual violence against girls. Other abuse against children include killings, maiming, and the recruitment and use of child soldiers. In 2018, the UN documented more cases of children being recruited as child soldiers in Somalia than in any other country in the world. In 2019, Al-Shabab continued an aggressive child recruitment campaign against communities that refused to hand over their children. The Somali federal authorities unlawfully detained these children for their alleged ties to Al-Shabab.

Blackhawk Down Rangers in Somalia

In 1992, U.S. Marines landed near Mogadishu ahead of a U.N. peacekeeping force sent to restore order and safeguard relief supplies. Somali militias shot down two U.S. helicopters. Eighteen U.S. Army Rangers were killed, beheaded, and their bodies were paraded through the streets. [24] The battle that ensued between U.S. forces and Somali militias killed hundreds of Somalis. This tragedy, known in the US as ‘Blackhawk Down,’ refers to the name of the helicopters used by the Marines. The loss of the U.S. soldiers resulted in then-President Clinton being exhorted to refrain from subsequent involvement in African affairs. To a large extent, Blackhawk Down’s legacy influenced the US to refrain from intervention of any sort during the genocide in Rwanda two years later. [25]

Following the arrival of the U.S. Marines, a two-year U.N. humanitarian effort attempted to relieve famine conditions in the country. The U.N. mission withdrew shortly thereafter, having suffered significant casualties.

In December 2006, a U.N. Security Council resolution endorsed African peacekeepers. Islamist leaders reacted by saying that they would view foreign forces as invaders. The African Union and Arab League urged Ethiopia to pull out its troops, but failed, and a joint Ethiopian and Somali government force captured Mogadishu.

Beginning in February 2007, the U.N. Security Council authorized a six-month African Union peacekeeping mission for Somalia. The previous U.N. force had withdrawn in 2005. [26]

In October 2007, Ethiopian forces fired on demonstrators in Mogadishu protesting at the presence of what they called foreign invaders. Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said that he would keep troops inside Somalia until “jihadists” were defeated. [27] In June 2008, the government signed a three-month ceasefire pact with opposition Alliance for Re-Liberation of Somalia. The deal, which said that Ethiopian troops would leave Somalia within 120 days, was rejected by Islamist leader Hassan Dahir Aweys, who said that the Union of Islamic Courts would not stop fighting until all foreign troops left the country. [28] In December Ethiopia announced plans to withdraw all forces by end of 2008, which was completed by January 2009. However, Ethiopian troops returned to the central town of Guriel in 2011. [29]

The US carried out air strikes in southern Somalia in 2007, targeting suspected Al-Qaeda members. Though the strikes were supported and defended by President Yusuf, they ultimately ended up killing innocent civilians. [30]

In 2011, Kenyan troops entered Somalia. [31] The United States began flying drones from a base in Ethiopia. The next year, Al-Shabab lost their hold on all major cities. Baidoa, Afgoye, Merca, and Kismayo were recaptured by Kenyan, African Union, and Somali government forces. [32]

After increased attacks on Kenyan civilians, the US killed Al-Shabab’s leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane, in a drone strike in 2014. [33]

Many efforts have been put forth to help Somalia and its people. In February of 2020, the International Monetary Fund announced that they secured pledges to allow the Fund to provide comprehensive debt relief to Somalia, hoping to bring the country closer to reducing its total debt. The World Bank also announced that it is working towards normalizing relations with the government of Somalia after 30 years, giving the country access to development in future investments. [35]

In January of 2019, Somalia became a member of the UN Human Rights Council and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Somalia also ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and produced its first report for the Committee on the Rights of the Child. [36] Somalia and the US had been the only two countries in the world that had not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child; as of this writing in 2020, the US is now the only holdout.

Overall, the Somalia conflict has involved a number of different international organizations, such as the UN, the AU, and the EU. Multiple countries have also taken part in the conflict or in seeking its resolution, including the United States, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Italy, among others. Despite the attempts at resolution, however, the violence continues. With so many factions and interests involved, and such a long history of turmoil, finding a solution to the conflict remains a complex and complicated process.

This page was originally created by Guled Ibrahim, J.D., World Without Genocide Associate.

Updated: World Without Genocide, January 2021.

Citations:

[1] http://amisom-au.org/about-somalia/somali-peace-process/

[2] http://www.unhcr.org/591ae0e17.pdf

[3] https://sites.tufts.edu/atrocityendings/2015/08/07/somalia-fall-of-siad-barre-civil-war/

[4] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14115069

[5] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14114727

[6] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/911307.stm

[7] https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/somalias-transitional-government

[8] https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/cfr/world/slot1_060106.html

[9] http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article16320

[10] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21520844.2011.617238?journalCode=ujme20

[11] https://www.studentnewsdaily.com/daily-news-article/u-n-food-aid-to-somalia-bypasses-needy/

[12] https://www.aljazeera.com/focus/2010/09/201092114544582381.html

[13] https://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2009/af/135976.htm

[14] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-usa/u-s-backs-calls-for-more-au-troops-for-somalia-idUSTRE69J6AE20101020

[15]https://www.hrw.org/report/2012/02/20/no-place-children/child-recruitment-forced-marriage-and-attacks-schools-somalia

[16] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14094632

[17] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14094632

[18] http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/al-shabab-terrorists-attack-presidential-palace-somalia-article-1.1622278

[19]https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/apr/2/gunmen-attack-garissa-university-college-northeast/

[20] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/08/world/africa/somalia-farmajo-mohamed-abdullahi-mohamed.html

[21] https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2017-03-08/opening-press-remarks-gigiri-complex-un-headquarters

[22] https://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/somalia-situation-2017-supplementary-appeal-january-december-2017

[23] http://www1.wfp.org/countries/somalia

[24] https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/2000/02/27/after-action-report/3c474a43-ea21-4bf5-afc5-02820b8579e5/?utm_term=.7ebea0409a63

[25] https://www.bbc.com/news/av/magazine-38808175/black-hawk-down-the-somali-battle-that-changed-us-policy-in-africa

[26] https://www.un.org/press/en/2007/sc8960.doc.htm

[27] http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/48eb15812.pdf

[28] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7445302.stm

[29] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-16372453

[30] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-strikes-in-somalia-reportedly-kill-31/

[31] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/oct/16/kenyan-troops-somalia-kidnappings

[32] http://www.strathink.net/ethiopia/exclusive-from-foreign-policy-u-s-operates-drones-from-secret-bases-in-somalia/

[33] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-drone-strike-in-somalia-targets-al-shabab-leader/2014/09/02/2c833104-32a3-11e4-9e92-0899b306bbea_story.html?utm_term=.82e5df399b1f

[34] http://reporting.unhcr.org/node/2550?y=2020#year

[35] https://www.cnn.com/2013/07/10/world/africa/somalia-fast-facts/index.html

[36] https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/country-chapters/somalia