Somalia Conflict - Part.1

Somalia's modern history of conflict began in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as opposition to President Siad Barre’s military regime grew. Barre's autocratic rule, clan favoritism, and suppression of dissent sparked resistance from various rebel groups, notably the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF) and later the United Somali Congress (USC). These insurgent groups were often organized along clan lines, and their opposition culminated in the ousting of Barre in 1991. However, instead of ushering in stability, his fall led to a power vacuum and a brutal civil war among rival warlords vying for control, causing the central government to collapse entirely.

In the absence of state authority, Islamist movements began to gain ground. The Islamic Courts Union (ICU), a coalition of sharia courts, briefly brought order to much of southern Somalia in 2006 before being ousted by an Ethiopian military intervention backed by the United States. The intervention, however, fueled further insurgency and led to the rise of al-Shabaab, a more radical Islamist group with ties to al-Qaeda. Throughout the 2010s, al-Shabaab conducted deadly attacks both within Somalia and in neighboring countries like Kenya, targeting African Union peacekeepers and government institutions. The Somali Transitional Federal Government and later the Federal Government of Somalia struggled to establish lasting control, despite international support.

Currently, Somalia remains engaged in a complex struggle involving counterterrorism, state-building, and clan reconciliation. Al-Shabaab continues to pose a serious threat, although it has lost territorial control in many areas due to African Union and Somali military operations. Meanwhile, political instability persists, exacerbated by disputes between federal and regional leaders and delays in elections. International partners, including the UN, AU, Turkey, and the US, continue to assist Somalia through military aid, humanitarian support, and governance initiatives. While there are signs of institutional development and improved security in some urban centers, Somalia’s path to lasting peace remains fragile and dependent on resolving deep-rooted political and social divisions.