Transcript The Somali Civil War By - United Nations Association

The Somali Civil War
By: Christian Haig and Yuyi Li
Table of Contents
•Post UNISOM Somalia
•
Geography
•
People
•TNG and ICU
•
History
•
– Rise of Siad Barre
– Siad Barre and Dictatorship
– Ogaden War (1977-1978)
– Uprising in the NW (1978-1982)
– Overthrow of Siad Barre
– The Result
– More Violence in Somalia
– Effect of Turmoil
United Nations Operation in Somalia I
•ICU and Ethiopia
•
United Nations Operation in Somalia II
•TNG-ICU Conflict
•Ethiopian Invasion
•Islamist Groups
•Coalition Government
•Recent Occurrences
•Problems that the UN face in Somalia
•UN Role in Somalia
•Solutions
•Bibliography
Geography
Capital: Mogadishu
Coastline = 2,720 km
Horn of Africa

North
 hilly
Central & South
 flat

"Somalia Map - African Countries, Map of Somalia Facts Landforms - World Atlas." World Atlas including
Geography Facts, Maps, Flags - Worldatlas.com. Web. 07 Jan. 2012.
<http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/africa/so.htm>.
People



60% = nomadic or semi-nomadic pastoralists (north)
25% = farmers who live mainly in the fertile agricultural
zone (south)
15% = urban
" Somalia Tips." Somalia Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Jan.
2012. <http://somaliatips.files.wordpress.com
"Understanding Somalia." MercatorNet:
promoting human dignity. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Jan.
2012. <http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/
History

Clans

Imperialism (late 1800s)


Britain,Italy,France
Independence (June 26th,1960)

United Republic of Somalia

Abdullahi Issa & Aden Abdullah Osman
Daar

Abdirashid Ali Shermarke
History (cont.)

Assassination of President Sharmarke


Army seizes power, 1969
General Siad Barre leads overthrow regime
Rise of Siad Barre

Scientific Socialism

Marxism + Koranic interpretation

Expansionist Somali nationalism

Homogenous, centralized nation-state


Unstable because of clans
Attempted to reclaim territory from Ethiopia
Siad Barre's Dictatorship


Supreme Revolutionary Council (SRC)

End "tribalism, nepotism, corruption,
and misrule"

Aligned with Soviet Union
National Security Services (NSS)


'Somali Gestapo'
Clan favoritism

M.O.D (the Mareehaan, Ogaden and
Dulbahante)
Ogaden War (1977-1978)

Ogaden region in Ethiopia

Somali National Army


3 years after fall of Ethiopia’s Emperor
Haile Sellasie
Soviet Union & Cuba alliance change

Supported new Marxist Ethiopia

Withdrew support from Barre
Ogaden War (1977-1978) cont.

Effects of the war

1983 → 1.3 million refugees in Somalia

Economy in the north

Clan favoritism & resentment

Issaq clan

Ogadeen clan
Uprising in the NW (1978-1982)

Majeerteenclan

The Red Berets

Destroyed water reservoirs


2,000 Majeerteen died from thirst
Violence against women/children
Overthrow of Siad Barre


Somali National
Movement (SNM)

1979

Isaaq exiles


1980s → Ogadeen
refugees in (north) Isaaq
clan territory


1988 SNM
raided refugee
camp
Barre = civilian
assault
United States
government provided
$163.5 million to
Barre
Lost Iranian ally



1979
revolution
Horn of Africa to Gulf
oil shipping routes
Barre's army
=120,000 troops
Overthrow of Siad Barre (cont.)


United Somali Congress (USC)

1989

Hawiye clan exiles
Red Berets

Violence against Hawiye and Isaaq clans


Bombing of Hargeisa, 2nd largest city,
70% destroyed, 400,000 fled to Ethiopia
January 27th,1991 → USC fought back

Drove Siad Barre out of Mogadishu
The Result


Republic of Somaliland

Somali National Movement (SNM)

NW

Mohammad Ibrahim Egal → “president of
Somaliland
United Somali Congress (USC)


Seized Mogadishu
Siad Barre dies in exile 4 years later →
Nigeria
More Violence in Somalia


USC has no plans for permanent
government
No reconciliation between factions and
armed groups

USC splits

Muhammad Fara Aidid & Ali Mahdi

Mahdi → Somali Salvation Alliance (SSA)

Declared himself “president of Somalia”
More Violence in Somalia (cont.)

Somali National Front (SNF)

Siad Barre's supporters



Guerbaharre
1991 → 6 months open combat between
groups
September 1991 → USC dominated, more
street fighting in Mogadishu
Effects of Turmoil

Government & civil society decayed

Food distribution collapsed

Drought exacerbated the effects

Famine in south

1992, international aid


80% food shipments looted by armed
groups & government
The United Nations decides to intervene
United Nations Operation in Somalia I
(April 1992 - March 1993)

Monitor cease fire

Escort delivery of humanitarian supplies


Resolution 751 (1992)
Mission strengthens

Resolution 767 (1992)

Operational zones: Berbera, Bossasso, Mogadishu and
Kismayo


Military of 750 units, all ranks
Worked with United Task Force (UNITAF)

Resolution 794 (1992): “All means necessary”

24 countries led by the USA
UNOSOM I (cont.)

100-Day Action Plan


massive infusion of food aid

aggressive expansion of supplementary feeding

provision of basic health services and mass measles
immunization

urgent provision of clean water, sanitation and hygiene

provision of shelter materials, blankets and clothes

simultaneous delivery of seeds, tools and animal vaccines
with food rations

prevention of further refugee outflows

institution-building and rehabilitation of civil society.
Factions shelled and hijacked supply ships and vehicles
Reconciliation

January 1993, meeting convened by the Secretary-General

14 Somali political movements agreed on a ceasefire


pledged to hand over all weapons to UNITAF and UNOSOM

General Agreement of 8 January 1993

Agreement On Implementing The Cease-fire And On
Modalities Of Disarmament

Agreement On The Establishment Of An Ad Hoc Committee
The Conference on National Reconciliation in Somalia (March 1993)

leaders of 15 political movements endorsed an accord on
disarmament, reconstruction and the formation of a
transitional government.
Transition to UNOSOM II




Supplanted UNITAF
To help ensure a secure environment in
Somalia
Rebuild and reestablish

Infrastructure

Economy
Chapter VII, Resolution 814 (1993)
UNOSOM II (March 1993 - March
1995)




Transition of operational control from UNITAF
Effective deployment and consolidation of United
Nations operational control throughout Somalia and the
border regions
Reduction of UNOSOM II military activity, and
assistance to civil authorities in exercising greater
responsibility
Reduction of UNOSOM II force
UNOSOM II (cont.)


Soldiers killed by factions → disregarded agreements of
ceasefire
Resolution 837 (1993)

Take all necessary measures to defend armed
attacks

Quick Reaction Force

Nairobi Declaration & Addis Ababa Agreement


Peace throughout Somalia & ceasefire

Factions/clans broke agreement
Secretary-General urged another conference to appoint new
government
End of UNOSOM II

Secretary-General: only the Somalis themselves
could establish acceptable peace

International community could help the
process → can't be sustained indefinitely

Withdraw of UNOSOM II force → March 28,1995

United Nations agencies and organizations

NGOs
Blackhawk Down
Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War
by Mark Bowden
"Black Hawk Down (2001) - IMDb." The Internet Movie
Database (IMDb). Web. 07 Jan. 2012.
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0265086/>.
Web. 07 Jan. 2012.
<http://inquirer.philly.com/packages/somalia/>
Post UNOSOM Somalia

Central government

Law system
TNG and the ICU

International Conferences

Area of conflict

ICU dominance

Effect of ICU rule
Al-Shabaab declares black Islamic flag in Somalia
ICU and Ethiopia

ICU's power spread

Ethiopian outlook

African Union
ICU-TNG Conflict

African Union thwarted

Arms buildup

Jihad

Baidoa
Ethiopian Invasion

Victory

ICU's Fate
Islamist Groups

Al-Shabaab

Hizbul Islam

Islamic Courts Union
http://www.marinebuzz.com/marinebuzzuploads/SomaliPiratesHowRansomCollectedisSpent_2191/Somali_piracy.jpg
Coalition Government

Moderate Islamists and the TNG

Mogadishu

Technocratic government
Recent Occurences

Drought and famine

Al-Shabaab

Possible AU peacekeeper increase

Kenya

UN
Problems that the UN face in Somalia
•
United Nations aid workers in the country are limited as there is no established
protection on site. Aid workers face the constant threat of kidnapping for ransom.
•
International aid has been routinely looted due to a variety of factors including
government corruption and desperate food and health conditions.
•
Islamist groups view the United Nations with distrust and deny it access to their
land, believing that the United Nations has a political agenda.
UN Role In Somalia
•
No large-scale United Nations peacekeeping operation in the
country since the UNOSOM II.
•
Passed Resolution 1838, in which an anti-piracy fleet is
sanctioned to operate off of Somalia's lawless coastline.
•
The World Food Programme (WFP), a United Nations program, also has a
presence in the country.
•
A United Nations program designated towards establishing a functioning
government in Somalia called the United Nations Political Office for Somalia is
currently active in Kenya.
Solutions
1. UN Peacekeepers
– Offensive action
– Protection of aid
– Protection of government institutions
2. United Nations Political Office for Somalia
– Development
• IMF
Solutions (cont.)
3. International Help
–
AU
–
Anti-insurgency
–
Monetary goals
4. Political Unification
–
TNG
–
Puntland
–
Somaliland
5. End to Piracy
6. Alleviate the Effects of the Famine
–
Long term and short term goals
Bibliography
1.
The United Nations' database on the UNOSOM I & UNOSOM II
<https://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/past/unosomi.htm>
<http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/past/unosom2backgr1.html>
2.
From United Nations Political Office for Somalia
<http://unpos.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1911>
3.
Somalia – Infrastructure, Power, and Communications
<http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Africa/Somalia-INFRASTRUCTUREPOWER-AND-COMMUNICATIONS.html>
4.
GlobalSecurity on the Somalia Civil War
<http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/somalia.htm>
5.
From AllAfrica, information pertaining to the Islamist's stance on the United Nations was
obtained.
<http://allafrica.com/stories/201107260329.html>
6.
General history of the Somali Civil War
<http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0861179.html>
7.
Information on the Somali Civil War was taken from Conciliation Resources.
<http://www.c-r.org/our-work/accord/somalia/endless-war.php>
8.
GlobalSecurity on the far-reaching consequences of the Somalia Civil War
<http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/somalia.htm>