Tensions are growing more and more unstable in northern Somalia. Clashes between rival regional administrations grew today, but diplomats on both sides were calling for control. Somalia has a weak federal government that is based in Mogadishu, which is unlikely to take control in the south and influence anything over the Puntland region and Somalialand. Puntland's Vice President, Hassan Dahir Mohamud, said that one soldier has been killed and three others wounded. Somlailand had declared, on the local radio, that they killed three Puntland soldiers at a village named Sool. Since 1991, both Puntland and Somalialand claim Sool and they have clashed over this area four times already thus far.The Committee of the Coordination of International Support to Somalia wants both Somalialandf and Puntland to think carefully and exercise restraint. Troops are gathering in Sool daily, and more regional troops were sent to prevent troops from Somalialand from crossing into Puntland. Men were arrested with explosives in vehicles with plates registered to Buhodle, a town bordering Puntland and Ethiopia. Those arrested were handed over to Ethiopia for further questioning.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Tensions rise in northern Somalia following clashes by forces of rivals
Somalia's prime minister wants U.N. to take over from small African Union force in his country
On September 27, 2007 Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi called for U.N. peace keepers to take over from a small African Union force. The prime goal would be to help restore security and combat terrorism. Key UN countries decided that their must be a peace in order to maintain one and Somalia is not in a state of peace. Gedi complains that he is not getting the help he need in order to deploy the 8,000 strong African Union force. Only 1,500 AU troops from Uganda made it to Somalia. He wants the deployment of the African Union force to be a UN mission because he believes it will be more cost-efficient, the longer we wait the more costly it will be. Diplomats said their is almost no attempt to support deploying U.N. forces in Somalia.
Friday, September 21, 2007
slamist insurgency and reappearance of inter-clan fighting
After the collapse of the ICU the remaining forces split up and decided to continue fighting. The small faction used guerrilla warfare against Ethiopia and SOmalia. The African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) was created to establish security with 8,000 peace keepers. The mission was conducted by the Horn of Africa-based nations of IGAD. The Islamic group, Popular Resistance Movement in the Land of the Two Migrations (PRM), vowed to fight against and foreign troops.
US intervention
Ethiopian intervention and collapse of the ICU
Height of ICU power
The ICU succeeded in taking control of the capitol, Mogadishu, in the Second Battle of Mogadishu. They succeeded in gaining the support of the remaining warlords and together they were able to drive out the ARPCT. Over the years they were able to expand their borders to Puntland and southern and middle Jubaland. Due to the Islamic movements growing power and militant ideals tension got worse between the ICU and Islamists and other factions of Somalia, which comprised of Transitional Federal Government (TFG), Puntland, and Galmudug. Ethiopia also joined the fray to help secular forces of Somalia. The ICU was able to gain support of Eritrea and mujahideen, which both declared holy war against Ethiopia because Ethopia was occupying Gedo and deployment around Baidoa.
Rise of the ICU, War with the ARPCT, TFG and Ethiopia (2006–present)
The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was founded in Nairobi, Kenya in 2004. Things got worse in Somalia, so they were not able to establish themselves in Mogadishu. In 2006, TFG established an temporary government in Baidoa. The Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism (ARPCT) was formed and consisted f mainly Mogadishu warlords. The ARPCT was against the rise of Sharia oriented Islamic Courts Union (ICU). The ICU has been gaining power over the years and are backed by funding from the US's CIA, which led to increasing conflict in the capitol.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Division of Somalia (1998-2006)
Throughout 1998–2006 many self-declared autonomous states started to pop-up within Somalia. Somalia land was the only one who also asked for independence. Puntland, one of the self-proclaimed states, declared independance in 1998 to try to form a new central government. A second state, Jubaland, also made movements toward a new central government. In 1999, a third self proclaimed identity called the Rahaweyn Resistance Army (RRA) was created near Puntland. The secession was also reasserted in 2002, which soon led to the autonomy of Southwestern Somalia. The territory of Jubaland was encompassed by Southwestern Somalia and it status is currently unclear. The fourth self-declared state was declared in 2006 called Galmudug in response to the growing power of the Islamic Court Union. During this time many warlord and clans continued to battle and the national government movement has very little control over Somalia.
UN Intervention (1992–1995)
The UN Security Council Resolution 733 and 746 created UNOSOM I to provide relief and help restore some order to the now chaotic Somalia. In 1992, the UN Security Council Resolution 733 which approved the UN peace keepers to form UNITAF. UNITAF was in control of making sure that the aid was being distributed and peace was being made in Somalia. UN troops did not see Somalia till 1993, which started a two year effort to help the hunger condition.
The UN effort was lead by the United States and was criticized by some. Some of the critics believed that the US was intervening because of the prospects of oil in Somalia.
Somalis opposed the foreign presence fearing imperialism and oppression form the outsiders. The largest battle was the Battle of Mogadishu, in which 24 Pakistanis, 31 US soldiers, and over 1000 Somalis were killed. The UN withdrew all it's forces on March 3, 1995. Order in Somalia still has not been restored.