ANB-BIA SUPPLEMENT
ISSUE/EDITION Nr 322 - 15/04/1997
CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE
AN ANB-BIA's DOSSIER
SOMALIA
by Compiled by ANB-BIA , Brussels, April 1997
THEME = DOSSIER
INTRODUCTION
Since the fall of Siyad Barre's dictatorship in 1991, Somalia
has been at the mercy of warlords who have reduced the country to
ruins. Somalia is splintered into dozens of overlapping fiefdoms
whose rulers quarrel among themselves. Many efforts to resolve the
conflicts have been proposed, but up to now, none has resulted in
a cease-fire which is accepted by all. Still, all the elements for
bringing about a lasting peace are in place at the moment
I - Short History
Somalis have lived in the Horn of Africa for thousands of years. A
pastoral people, their history has been largely dominated by trade,
alternated with periods of war with their neighbours in Ethiopia.
At the end the 19th Century, their territory was divided up between
the Ethiopian Empire, the Italians, the British and the French.
Independence
On 26 June 1960, the independence of British Somaliland was
proclaimed, followed on 1 July by Italian Somaliland. The
two then joined as The Republic of Somaliland under the
presidency of Aden Abdullah Osman. Ogaden remained in the
Ethiopian Empire while the French Somali coast became independent,
by referendum, under the name Territory of the Afars and the
Issas (now the Republic of Djibouti).
Siyad Barre (1969-91)
In 1969, General Mohammed Siyad Barre seized power in a coup
d'etat. He established a dictatorship and made it his ambition to
re-unite all the Somali territories. In 1977, Somalia committed its
forces to the war in Ogaden to help the resistance movement of the
Front for the Liberation of Western Somalia. However, its troops
were defeated by the Ethiopian army, which was greatly helped by
the Soviet Union and Cuba.
During the 1980's, Siyad Barre's power declined. He was challenged
by several Ethiopian based parties who were opposed to his
dictatorship. The principal ones were: the SNM (Somalia National
Movement), which was established particularly in the North; the USC
(United Somali Congress), which operated chiefly in the centre; and
the SPM (Somali Patriotic Movement) in the South. On 27 January
1991, the USC took Mogadishu and Siyad Barre had to flee; he took
refuge in the South and later in Nigeria where he died in 1995.
Ali Mahdi Mohammed proclaimed himself president, but was not
recognised.
On 18 May 1991, the SNM announced the secession of the North of the
country and proclaimed the Republic of Somaliland (the former
British Somaliland) under President Abd Ar-Rahman Ahmad Ali
Tur, who was succeeded in 1993 by Mohammed Ibrahim Egal.
The UN intervenes (1992-95)
Conflicts continued, not only between different groups of rebels
but also within the factions themselves. In November 1991, violent
battles broke out among the rival clans of the USC, with the
followers of Ali Madhi fighting those of General Mohammed Farah
Aïdid.
Many attempts at mediation failed. The first United Nations
operation, ONUSOM I, which was charged with supervising the cease
fire and protecting humanitarian aid, also failed: only 500
Pakistani soldiers were sent instead of the 4,200 intended. Finally
Operation "Restore Hope" began with 36,000 troops, of
which 24,000 were Americans. In March 1993, a peace conference was
held in Addis Ababa and resulted in an agreement on the formation
of a Transitional National Council and disarmament of the factions;
but Aïdid rejected it. In May the United States took command
and UNOSOM II began. There were numerous clashes with the
"Blue Berets" and in November, a gradual withdrawal of
Western troops was decided upon. On 2 March 1995, the last UN
soldiers left the country after failure to find a political
solution.
Clashes continue (1995-96)
Clashes between the clans and the factions continued, even though
they became more sporadic. On 15 June 1995, Aïdid was elected
"President" by his own followers, but his right-hand man
Osman Atto defected. Between April and June, battles between
the Aïdid factions and those of Osman Atto left 200 dead, and
in July there were 150. Aïdid himself was wounded and died of
his wounds on 1 August. His son Hussein Aïdid succeeded
him.
Hussein Aïdid has American citizenship and has passed
half of his life in the United States. When his mother was
divorced, he emigrated with her to California, where he studied
engineering. As a US marine since 1987, he even took part in
Operation "Restore Hope", but when his family ties were
discovered, he was quickly sent back to the United States. A little
later, he returned to Somalia to help his father. Because of his
military experience, he was appointed chief of security and given
the job of procuring arms for the clan. The speed with which he was
appointed to succeed his father surprised observers. Those who
hoped for a lull in hostilities after his appointment were
disappointed: Hussein Aïdid declared that he would continue
the conflict.
Somalia at the end of 1996
Hussein Aïdid considers himself as the real president of the
Republic of Somalia, but only a small proportion of the people
shares his view of things. Seemingly, Somalis are comfortable with
the mosaic system of small territorial units, even though the
absence of a central administration is sorely felt in the most
important sectors. But the present system, made up of small
political and economic units, often offers the only guarantee of
more or less pacific co-existence between the opposing clans. In
Somalia's recent history, the most violent clashes always occur
when one faction tries to grab the central power.
In a good part of the country, systems of regional and local
governments have been established. Small enterprises flourish and
trade has resumed, even the export of cattle and bananas. Doctors,
nurses, teachers and local administrators are all trying to repair
the social fabric torn apart by civil war.
A United Nations document connected with an aid programme, divides
Somalia into three zones, which are not always clearly
definable in geographical terms.
* A "Crisis Zone" which includes most of the regions in
the south of the country: the south of Mogadishu, the port of
Kismayo, the regions of Lower-Djouba, Central Djouba, Lower-Chebeli
and Bay. In these areas, there are sporadic battles for power;
local government has collapsed or is fiercely fought over. At the
moment, this zone suffers from lack of law and order, instability
and poverty.
* A "Transition Zone", that is to say, the rest of the
country, where the situation alternates between stability and
crisis.
II - Small Steps to Peace (1996-97)
As sporadic battles between the factions continue, especially in
the Mogadishu region, peace talks are more and more frequent.
Mogadishu
Mogadishu, the capital, has for years been cut by the
"Green Line" which separates the two most powerful
factions (each supported by families or clans): the northern part
is controlled by Ali Madhi Mohammed; the southern part by
Aïdid. Another green line surrounds a small enclave along the
sea shore, called Medina, controlled by Osman Ali Atto. In
October 1996, the three met in Nairobi, and after a week of
discussions, agreed to cease hostilities, remove the barriers and
facilitate humanitarian aid. However, no written agreement was
signed. And immediately after their return to Mogadishu, battles
resumed between the militia of the different camps.
On 20 January 1997, on the initiative of the special Italian envoy,
G.Casini, Hussein Aïdid and Ali Mahdi met again and
hammered out an agreement to reunite Mogadishu and dismantle the
green line. The two leaders discussed the re-opening of the port
and the airport of the city, which had been closed for two years.
They declared that there was a drought in Somalia, and the port was
needed to receive humanitarian aid. A joint committee would be
entrusted with the task of putting the agreement into operation.
Sodere Agreement
In mid December 1996, 26 heads of factions met in Sodere in
Ethiopia. The heads of the principal factions were there, except
for Hussein Aïdid and Ibrahim Egal of Somaliland. This meeting
which was held over a period of seven or eight weeks, was
considered the most serious hope for peace in recent years. It
resulted, at the beginning of the year, in the formation of a 41
member "National Salvation Council" (NSC), which has to
work out a charter for government and take charge of the economic
reconstruction of the devastated country. The Council has an
executive committee of eleven members and a collegiate presidency
of five Somali personalities, representative of the different
factions and clans:
* Abdulkadir Mohamed Aden, leader of an armed Somali
democratic movement, of a family clan originally from the South of
Somalia.
* Abdulahi Yussuf (of the Somali Democratic Front),
representing the two great families of the Darod clan, who reside
in the North and the South of the country.
* Ali Mahdi and Osman Atto, both of the Hamiye clan
which is spread all over Central Somalia.
Two competing peace
processes are now underway, each linked to a neighbouring state.
One process is backed by Ethiopia, the other by
Kenya: rivalry is damaging both.
Somaliland
Another obstacle to reconciliation is the existence of Somaliland,
even though the independence it has proclaimed is not recognised by
any country. Up to the present, Somaliland was the only region
which could claim to having a central and relatively stable
government, though its "president" Ibrahim Egal
appears to control only slightly more than half of his State.
According to a 1996 report, the eastern region of Sanaag, ruled by
another clan, is not hostile, but is not administered by the
centre. Areas along the Ethiopian border are infested with clan
militia, who have caused hundreds of deaths. The town of Burao in
the centre is deserted and mined. Even the airport of Hargesia, the
capital, remains closed. Practically all the resources of the
regime comes through the port of Berbera, but many merchants
increasingly send their merchandise through the port of Bossasso to
escape heavy taxes.
By his refusal to take part in the national reconciliation movement
which began in Sodere, Ibrahim Egal has placed himself on the
margins of the reunification and pacification process. On 23
February 1997, he was re-elected as president for a five year
period.
Influence of Ethiopia
Since 1993, Ethiopia has played a preponderant role in the search
for a peace agreement. This role implies that no solution will be
viable, unless it assures the settlement of conflicts in the
Ethiopian region of Ogaden which is inhabited by Somalis. The
Ethiopian government accuses the Muslim Somali group, Al-
Ittihad-al-Islam of harbouring in border areas, groups of
Islamic opponents, originally from Ogaden, who are waging a holy
war against Ethiopia. Ethiopian troops regularly make incursions
into Somali territory to destroy escape bases of the Islamists. The
Ethiopians are now trying to solve this problem with the help of
the Somalis themselves.
On 7 February 1997, the Arab League proposed to once again
reconvene a National Reconciliation Conference, comprising all
Somali parties including Aïdid.
END
CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE
PeaceLink 1997 -
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