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84-617: The Bimal are the dominant clan in Merca district of Lower Shabelle region and make up the majority in Jammaame district of Lower Jubba region. They also live in large numbers inhabit the Somali region of Ethiopia . The Bimal are a war-like clan that was known for their struggle and long resistance against the Italians. The Bimal are a Dir clan that migrated to Lower Shabelle centuries ago and settled on

168-565: A " failed state ". This precipitated the arrival of UNOSOM I UN military observers in July 1992, followed by the larger UNITAF and UNOSOM II missions. Following an armed conflict between Somali factions and UNOSOM II during 1993, the UN withdrew from Somalia in 1995. After the central government's collapse, there was some return to customary and religious law in most regions. In 1991 and 1998, two autonomous regional governments were also established in

252-584: A " fragile state " that is making some progress toward stability. After Somalia lost the Ogaden War in March 1978, the president's popularity with Somalis plummeted and widespread discontent among his generals led to an attempted coup d'état on 10 April 1978. Most of the coup's ringleaders were rounded up and executed but some escaped and formed the Somali Salvation Democratic Front, starting

336-809: A battle took place and the town was destroyed. SNM militia then continued into Borama , the capital and largest town of Awdal, but the SNM leadership withdrew units within 24 hours to allow discussions to take place without the threat of occupation. By February 4, SNM's control extended to the entire north of Somalia, and all prisoners and pro-government ex-soldiers were released and ordered to return to their regions of origin (mainly Ethiopia), except for Hawiye ex-soldiers and ex-civil servants, who were permitted to remain in Burco since their lives would have been at risk if they had traveled through hostile pro-Barre country on their return to Mogadishu Somalia Archived September 25, 2021, at

420-581: A brawl in parliament over deployment of peacekeepers and relocation to an interim capital. The parliamentary speaker led some members to Mogadishu while the president and others remained in Nairobi. In June 2005, under pressure from Kenya, the remainder of the TFG left Nairobi for Jowhar . In February 2006, the TFG parliament met in Baidoa for the first time since March 2005. (Interpeace, 104) A battle for Mogadishu followed in

504-570: A ceasefire was agreed between Ali Mahdi Mohamed and Mohamed Farah Aideed. Neither had seized control of the capital, and as a result, a 'greenline' was established between east and west that divided their areas of control. UN Security Council Resolution 733 and UN Security Council Resolution 746 led to the creation of the United Nations Operation in Somalia I (UNOSOM I), to provide humanitarian relief and help restore order in Somalia after

588-560: A following which invaded the territory of Merca and expelled the Ajuran clan. The El Amir then ruled for thirty-four years until the Biimaal expelled them and definitively occupied Merca. They quickly gained control of the city and trade of the region. Traditions of Bimal clan of Merka district reflect preoccupied agricultural production for at least the last 200 years. Besides the Biimal revolt against

672-685: A huge economic development in the 1930s, due mainly to the growing commerce of the port of Merca connected by small railway to the farm area of Genale . Merca was abandoned by government forces and captured by Al-Shabaab in February 2016. It was recaptured by the Somali National Army along with African Union troops, a few days later. A small battle was fought in which a Somali soldier, several militants, and four civilians died. On 27 July 2022, an Al-Shabaab suicide bomber killed mayor Abdullahi Ali Ahmed Waafow and twenty other people while Waafow

756-460: A national security force, and general indifference on the part of the international community, President Yusuf found himself obliged to deploy thousands of troops from Puntland to Mogadishu to sustain the battle against insurgent elements in the southern part of the country. Financial support for this effort was provided by the autonomous region's government. This left little revenue for Puntland's own security forces and civil service employees, leaving

840-569: A pact to end hostilities, dismantle the green line partitioning the city, and remove road blocks; the UNOSOM-mediated Kismayo initiative of 1994 between the SNA, SPM, SSDF, and representatives of nineteen clans from the southern Lower Juba and Middle Juba regions; the 1994 Bardhere conference between the Marehan and Rahanweyn (Digil and Mirifle), which resolved conflicts over local resources; and

924-489: A rapid "retreat of the state", accompanied by a severe drop in value for the Somali Shilling and mass military desertion by Somali army units. In 1990, as fighting intensified, Somalia's first President, Aden Abdullah Osman Daar , and about 100 other Somali politicians signed a manifesto advocating reconciliation. A number of the signatories were subsequently arrested. Barre's heavy-handed tactics further strengthened

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1008-687: A river which he called the Nile of Mogadishu , a clear reference to the Shabelle river. Yaqut al-Hamawi , another thirteen-century Arab geographer also mentions Merca, which he says belonged to the Black Berbers considered ancestors of modern Somalis . During the Middle Ages, the area was one of several prominent administrative centers of the Ajuran Sultanate . The polity formed one of the largest kingdoms in

1092-638: A secret deal whereby each would cease hosting insurgencies of one another. This prompted the Somali National Movement (SNM) to launch an offensive on Northern Somalia from its bases on the Ethiopian border. Barre's regime responded with “systematic” human rights abuses and the genocide of thousands of Isaaq tribesmen resulting in up to 200,000 civilians slaughtered and 500,000 more people seeking refuge in neighbouring Ethiopia . The clampdown initiated by Barre 's government extended its reach beyond

1176-426: A signed agreement calling for the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops in exchange for the cessation of armed confrontation. Parliament was subsequently expanded to 550 seats to accommodate ARS members, which then elected Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed , the former ARS chairman, to office. President Sharif shortly afterwards appointed Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke , the son of slain former President Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke , as

1260-662: Is a nickname, which means "genuine" given by his scholar called Sheikh Abdirahman Ulamadoobe. Gaadsan are mainly found in Somali Galbeed (Somali region) and live in regions such as Afdher, in Jarrati and surrounding areas, Nusdasriq town in Qoraxay and Liban region. Gaadsan are also found in Somalia in Bakool, Geddo and the two jubas as well as Kenya (NFD). The following list is based on the People of

1344-649: Is an ongoing civil war that is taking place in Somalia . It grew out of resistance to the military junta which was led by Siad Barre during the 1980s. From 1988 to 1990, the Somali Armed Forces began engaging in combat against various armed rebel groups, including the Somali Salvation Democratic Front in the northeast, the Somali National Movement in the Somaliland War of Independence in

1428-804: Is mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea , a Greek travel document dating from the first century AD, as one of a series of commercial ports on the Somali littoral. According to the Periplus , maritime trade already connected peoples in the Merca area with other communities along the Somali Sea coast. According to the 12th-century author Al-Idrisi the Hawiye occupied the coastal areas between Ras Hafun and Merca, as well as

1512-609: Is the capital city of the Lower Shebelle province of Somalia , a historic port city in the region. It is located approximately 109 km (68 mi) to the southwest of the nation's capital Mogadishu . Merca is the traditional home territory of the Bimal clan and was the center of the Bimal revolt . The city of Essina is believed to have been the predecessor state of Merca. It used to be an ancient Proto-Somali emporium city-state. It

1596-831: Is widely known resistance fought against the colonials in southern Somalia in and around the current Lower Shebelle , Banadir , Middle Shabelle (Somali: Shabeela Hoose ) for decades (1896-1926), which can be -in a little way- compared to the war of the Mad Mullah in northern Somalia. The Gaadsen or reer Aw-Gaadsan branch of the Bimaal trace themselves from holymen and sheikhs living as pastoral nomads. Such religious lineages of sheikhs and holy-men are generally referred to as 'reer aw' or 'wadaaddo'. They are nominally ' men of God ' possessed of blessing by definition rather than learned. Although it doesn't necessary mean that all their lineages make religion their profession. The name of Geedsan or gadsen

1680-561: The Horn region. Various pillar tombs exist in the region, which local tradition holds were built in the 15th century when the Sultanate's naa'ibs governed the district. According to Ibn Sa'id in the thirteenth century described nearby Merca as one of the three most important cities on the East African coast along with Mogadishu and Barawa all serving as the commercial and Islamic centers for

1764-651: The Biimaal expelled them and definitively occupied Merca. One of the most powerful sultanates to have emerged from Southern Somalia called the Geledi Sultanate centered in Afgooye in the late 17th century. The Sultanate of Geledi tried to attack and destroy the Bimaal clan many times to try and capture the coastal city of Merca. But the Bimal of Merca managed to defeat the Geledi Sultanate 2 times. In 1843 Yusuf Mahamud ,

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1848-457: The Bimal clan since they were the major element in the resistance. For more about Bimal or Merca revolt see: In the 1930s a group of Italian Somalis established residency in Merca. The Port of Merca was the oldest port in Italian Somalia and was nicknamed the "port of bananas" due to its status as a key exporter of bananas from Somalia to Europe . In the city of Merca there was

1932-597: The Gedo and Middle Shabelle regions, and northwestern parts of the country remained relatively peaceful. A number of the regional and district administrations that had been locally established in the preceding few years continued to operate in these areas. In 1994-95, factions contending for power in the newly-declared-independent Somaliland region included the United Somalia Front, the Somalia Democratic Front,

2016-548: The Hawiye (Irir), Hawadle , Ajuraan, Degoodi , Gaalje'el clan groups, who share the same ancestor Samaale . Following the Ajuran state disintegration , a mysterious new group in the vicinity of Merca, known as the El Amir believe to be from the Abgaal origin made its appearance in the late 17th century. According to an account collected by Guillain in 1847, a leader known as Amir formed

2100-546: The Indian Ocean . Following the decline of Ajuran Sultanate . In the vicinity of Merca, a mysterious group known as the El Amir made its appearance between 1650 and 1700. According to an account collected by Guillain in 1847, a leader known as Amir, believed to originate from the Abgaal , formed a following or "tribe" which invaded the territory of Merca and expelled the Ajuran clan. The El Amir ruled for thirty-four years until

2184-548: The International Crisis Group , Ethiopia's leaders were surprised by the insurgency's persistence and strength and frustrated at the TFG's chronic internal problems. By January 2009, Al-Shabaab and other militias had forced the Ethiopian troops to retreat, leaving behind an understaffed African Union peacekeeping force. Due to a lack of funding and human resources, an arms embargo that made it difficult to re-establish

2268-803: The Rahanweyn Resistance Army in June 1999. By the end of the year, the Rahanweyn Resistance Army had taken control of the Bay and Bakool provinces. The RRA's leader Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud subsequently established the Southwestern State of Somalia regional administration. In 2000, Ali Mahdi participated in another conference in Djibouti. He lost a re-election bid there to Barre's former Interior Minister Abdiqasim Salad Hassan . In 2000,

2352-715: The Somali National Movement , and the United Somali Party . In March 1996, Ali Mahdi was elected chairman of the United Somali Congress/Somali Salvation Alliance (USC/SSA), based in northern Mogadishu. In the southern part of city, Aidid's forces battled those of Osman Atto for control of the port of Merca as well as strategic areas in Mogadishu. Fighting in Merca eventually ended after elders intervened, but continued in Mogadishu. In August 1996, Aidid died from wounds incurred during combat in

2436-576: The Transitional National Government (TNG) was established. The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was formed in Nairobi in 2004. Selection of members of parliament was underway by June, over two hundred members of parliament (MPs) took the oath of office in August, and Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed was elected president by the parliament in October 2004. However, in March 2005 the TFG split after

2520-652: The Villa Somalia , and began to adopt a low-key negotiating profile with key actors. In November 2008, following repeated violations of the weapons blockade, the Security Council decided that an arms embargo could be imposed on entities involved in such breaches. After a two-year consultation process, the TFG was formed in 2004 by Somali politicians in Nairobi under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The process also led to

2604-709: The Wayback Machine . On February 9, Ismail Omar Guelleh , then chief of staff of Djibouti's secret service, attempted to annex Zeyla in Awdal , Somaliland to Djibouti in the 1991 Zeila incursion during the Somaliland War of Independence , however the Djiboutian-backed United Somali Front was shortly routed from the area by Somali National Movement (SNM) forces. By mid-1990, United Somali Congress (USC) rebels had captured most towns and villages surrounding Mogadishu, which prompted some to give Barre

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2688-520: The Ajuran. Later, they had engaged in multiple wars and revolts with the Sultanate of the Geledi . One of the most powerful sultanates to have emerged from southern Somalia called the Geledi Sultanate centered in Afgooye in the late 17th century. It incorporated the Merca territory into its kingdom until the Bimaal rebelled in the mid-1800s for independence. The Sultanate of Geledi tried to attack and destroy

2772-579: The Biimaal Sultanate, and changed the traditional structures in the South-Central by retitling the elders "capo qabiil" and incorporating them into their administrative system. The Bimaal violently resisted the imposition of colonialism fought against the Italian colonialists in a twenty-year war known as the Bimaal revolt in which many of their warriors assassinated some Italian soldiers. In the early 1930s,

2856-433: The Biimaal were undertaking with their sultanate was sabotaged by the Italians, which was one of the reasons why the Biimaal revolt began. The Bimaal also engage in pastoralism, settled farming and were also successful merchants and traders in the 19th century. The Bimaal have proved in the past to be a bellicose clan, not only against their neighbours, but also against Italian colonial encroachment. The Italians undermined

2940-462: The Biimal clan opposed this idea. The Bimaals fought Italians to keep their slaves. Although the Italians freed some Bantus from the Biimaal, some Bantu groups, remained enslaved well until the 1930s, and continued to be despised and discriminated against by large parts of Somali society. The Biimal elders and leaders established the autonomous state of Udubland on 17 February 2011 claiming both Lower Shabelle and Lower Jubba. Dr. Ibraahim C/llaahi Caddow

3024-699: The Bimaal accepted the Italian rule in Merca and welcomed the Italian king in 1935. Some of them fought with the Italians in their conquest of Ethiopia in 1936. The Bimal also formed their own organization during the Somali Civil War , the Southern Somali National Movement (SSNM). Colonel Abdi Warsame in 1993, broke with General Aideed and took part of the SSNM with him when he aligned himself with Ali Mahdi. The Bimal revolt or Bimal resistance or Merca revolt ( Somali : Dagaalkii Biimaal iyo Talyaaniga )

3108-529: The Bimaal clan many times to try and re-capture the coastal city of Merca. But the Bimal of Merca managed to defeat the Geledi Sultanate 2 times. In 1843, Yusuf Mahamud , Sultan of Geledi, vowed to destroy the Bimaal for once and for all and mobilizes the Geledi army. In 1848, the Sultan of the Geledi, Yusuf Mahamud was killed at Adaddey Suleyman, a village near Merca, in a battle between the Bimaal and Geledi Sultanate. His son Sultan Ahmed Yusuf tried to see revenge but

3192-479: The Geledi Sultanate. The Bimal revolt , Bimal resistance , or Banadir resistance was a guerrilla war against the Italian Somaliland in southern Somalia . It was fought from the years 1896 to 1926 and largely concentrated in the Lower Shebelle , Banadir , and Middle Shebelle . The war was centered around Merka and Danane. It is compared to the war of the Mad Mullah in northern Somalia. Named after

3276-586: The Horn of Africa and a paper published in March 2002 by Ambroso Guido. Bimaal (Jamal) bin Mahamed Biimal were one of the Somali clans involved in the Indian Ocean slave trade as reported by the Italians, the Biimal sultanate was one of the most powerful sultanate in southerner Somalia and brought many Bantu slaves to its land. The Bantus were forced labour on Biimal-owned plantations while some were sold as part of

3360-408: The Indian Ocean slave trade. In December 1923, when Cesare Maria de Vecchi (the first Governor of Somalia) arrived in Somalia, slavery was being practiced in many areas of the country. Particularly in predominantly Biimal controlled area of Lower Shabelle region. The Italian colonial administration abolished slavery in Italian Somaliland at the turn of the 20th century. However, some Somali clans notably

3444-463: The Medina area. In 1998, a homegrown constitutional conference was held in the northeastern town of Garowe over a period of three months. It was attended by the area's political elite, traditional elders ( Issims ), members of the business community, intellectuals and other civil society representatives. The Puntland State of Somalia was subsequently established. In 1999, Eritrea was alleged to be supporting Somali National Alliance forces led by

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3528-421: The SNM initially refused to accept the legitimacy of the provisional government that the USC had established, but in March 1991 the SNM's former leader Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo proposed a power-sharing framework between the SNM and USC under a new transitional government. Many of the opposition groups subsequently began competing for influence in the power vacuum that followed the ousting of Barre's government. In

3612-426: The Somali government and the AU-mandated AMISOM peacekeeping force for control of the country. Somalia topped the annual Fragile States Index for six years from 2008 up to and including 2013. In October 2011, following preparatory meetings, Kenyan troops entered southern Somalia (" Operation Linda Nchi ") to fight al-Shabaab and establish a buffer zone inside Somalia. Kenyan troops were formally integrated into

3696-401: The Sultan of Geledi, vowed to destroy the Bimaal once and for all and mobilizes the Geledi army. In 1848 the sultan of the Geledi, Yusuf Mahamud was killed at Adaddey Suleyman, a village near Merca, in a battle between the Bimaal and Geledi Sultanates. His son Sultan Ahmed Yusuf tried to seek revenge but was also killed in 1878 at Agaaran, near Marka by the Bimal. This caused a steady decline in

3780-426: The TFG against the advancing Islamic Courts Union, initially winning the Battle of Baidoa . With their support, Somali government forces recaptured the capital from the ICU. The offensive helped the TFG solidify its rule. On January 8, 2007, as the Battle of Ras Kamboni raged, TFG President and founder Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed entered Mogadishu for the first time since being elected to office. But as Meckhaus writes,

3864-425: The TFG and oppose the Ethiopian military's presence in Somalia. Throughout 2007 and 2008, Al-Shabaab scored military victories, seizing control of key towns and ports in both central and southern Somalia. At the end of 2008, the group had captured Baidoa but not Mogadishu. On May 1, 2008, the U.S. made an airstrike on Dhusamareb , and followed on 3 May with another airstrike on the border town of Dobley. According to

3948-456: The TFG was seen "by most of the Mogadishu population as a puppet of Ethiopia, and uncontrolled TFG security forces became the principal sources of insecurity for the local population, engaging in kidnapping, assaults, and worse." Within weeks, an armed insurgency subsequently arose in the capital against the TFG and its Ethiopian allies. The government then relocated to the capital from its interim location in Baidoa . The arms embargo on Somalia

4032-409: The USC's victory over Barre's troops, the other rebel groups declined to cooperate with it, as each instead drew primary support from its own constituency. Among these other opposition movements were the Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM) and Somali Democratic Alliance (SDA), a Gadabuursi group which had been formed in the northwest to counter the Somali National Movement Isaaq militia. For its part,

4116-449: The United Nations Charter . Whereas the aim of UNOSOM 1 was primarily humanitarian UNITAFs mission statement to restore “peace, stability, law and order” suggests their belief of Somalia’s incapacity to secure the safety of the population without assistance from international military. During negotiations from 1993 to 1995, Somali principals had some success in reconciliation and establishment of public authorities. Among these initiatives

4200-420: The alliance was tasked with assuring security until humanitarian efforts aimed at stabilizing the situation were transferred to the UN. Landing in 1993, the UN peacekeeping coalition started the two-year United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II) primarily in the south. UNITAF's original mandate was to use "all necessary means" to guarantee the delivery of humanitarian aid in accordance to Chapter VII of

4284-420: The appeal of the various rebel movements, although these groups' only common goal was the overthrow of his government. In the north, fighting continued between SNM rebels and heavily armed pro-government militia in places like Awdal . In January 1991, in one of the final episodes of the civil war in the north, SNM militia gave chase to retreating government forces ( 26th Division ) to the town of Dilla , where

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4368-441: The bombing of cities, with the northwestern administrative center of Hargeisa , a Somali National Movement (SNM) stronghold, among the targeted areas in 1988. In December 1981, unrest was triggered in Northern Somalia by the arrest of 30 Isaaq professionals in Hargeisa who created a self-help group to improve local facilities. This was followed by the systematic efforts to remove all Isaaqs from positions of power including

4452-484: The coast between Gelib-marka and Brava as sedentary farmers. The Bimal are divided into four subclans, the Saad, Ismin, Suleyman, and Abdirahman. As a Dir sub-clan, the Bīmāli have immediate lineal ties with the Gadabuursi , Surre (Abdalle and Qubeys ), the Issa , the Bajimal, the Bursuk , the Madigan, the Gurgura , the Garre (the Quranyow sub-clan to be precise as they claim descent from Dir ), Gurre, Gariire, other Dir sub-clans and they have lineal ties with

4536-462: The country on March 3, 1995, having incurred more significant casualties. The UN stated that their withdrawal without completing their mandate was due to a lack of progress towards peace and little cooperation with Somali parties over security issues which were continually undermined. They received significant backlash after this withdrawal prompting them to state they were not abandoning Somalia however provided little international military support until

4620-411: The dissolution of its central government. The political state was described by the UN’s summary as being chaos with a deteriorating security system and widespread death and destruction. United Nations Security Council Resolution 794 was unanimously passed on December 3, 1992, which approved a coalition of United Nations peacekeepers led by the United States. Forming the Unified Task Force (UNITAF),

4704-433: The establishment of the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs), and concluded in October 2004 with the election of Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed as president. The TFG thereafter became Somalia's internationally recognized government. Following their defeat, the Islamic Courts Union splintered into several different factions. Some of the more radical elements, including Al-Shabaab, regrouped to continue their insurgency against

4788-445: The first half of 2006 in which the ARPCT , a coalition of U.S.-backed militia leaders, confronted the ascendant Islamic Courts Union (ICU). However, the ICU won a decisive victory in June of that year. It then rapidly expanded and consolidated its power throughout southern Somalia. By August 2006, the TFG was confined to Baidoa under Ethiopian protection. (Interpeace, 104) In December 2006, Ethiopian troops entered Somalia to assist

4872-494: The formation of the more local military operation AMISOM in 2007. After UNOSOM II's departure in March 1995, military clashes between local factions became shorter, generally less intense, and more localized. This was in part due to the large-scale UN military intervention that had helped to curb the intense fighting between the major factions, who then began to focus on consolidating gains that they had made. The local peace and reconciliation initiatives that had been undertaken in

4956-405: The former colony of Italian Somaliland in 1960 electing Abdirahman Ahmed Ali Tuur as president. Violence flared up in Mogadishu on 17 November 1991, when the Aidid-aligned faction of the USC attacked Mahdi-aligned forces in the city. They seized part of the city, but could not push Mahdi's forces out of northern Mogadishu. In 1992, after four months of heavy fighting for control of Mogadishu,

5040-455: The government, and said that the speaker of parliament would succeed him in office per the charter of the Transitional Federal Government. Between May 31 and June 9, 2008, representatives of Somalia's federal government and the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) participated in peace talks in Djibouti brokered by Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah , the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Somalia. The conference ended with

5124-427: The initial bombings in the north to encompass various regions across the country. This reproduction of aggressive strategies aimed at stifling dissent and retaining authority over the populace was a hallmark of the government's repressive actions in the South. One of the most notable instances occurred in 1991, when Barre's regime initiated a ruthless arial assault that led to the deaths of numerous innocent individuals in

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5208-456: The ironic title 'Mayor of Mogadishu.' In December the USC entered Mogadishu. Four weeks of battle between Barre's remaining troops and the USC ensued, during which the USC brought more forces into the city. By January 1991, USC rebels defeated the Red Berets, Barre's special forces, toppling Barre's hold on the government. The remainder of the government's forces then finally collapsed. Some became irregular regional forces and clan militias. After

5292-466: The late Aidid's son Hussein Farrah Aidid . Aidid Jr. denied the claims, saying that the Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi had requested that he mediate between Ethiopia and Eritrea in their separate conflict. However the International Institute for Strategic Studies separately reported that Hussein Aideed himself had acknowledged support from both Eritrea and Uganda. Aideed's forces occupied Huddur and Baidoa . However, they were driven out by

5376-409: The lower basin of the lower Shabelle river. Al-Idrisi's mention of the Hawiye is the first documentary reference to a specific Somali group in the Horn. Later Arab writers also make references to the Hawiye clan in connection with both Merca and the lower Shabelle valley. Ibn Sa'id (1214–74), for instance, considered Merca to be the capital of the Hawiye, who lived in fifty villages on the bank of

5460-460: The military, judiciary and security services, as well as harsh policies enacted against the Isaaq , including a declaration of economic warfare on the Isaaq. The transfer of power to non-Isaaq pro-government individuals further pushed Isaaq communities to rebel against Barre's regime and was one of the main causes of the breakout of the Somaliland War of Independence . In 1988, Siad Barre and Ethiopian dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam agreed to

5544-414: The multinational force in February 2012. The Federal Government of Somalia was established in August 2012, constituting the country's first permanent central government since the start of the civil war. In 2023, the Las Anod conflict broke out in the northern part of Somalia between SSC-Khatumo and the Somaliland Army . International stakeholders and analysts subsequently began to describe Somalia as

5628-572: The next several months. Although Barre managed to recover enough to present himself for reelection to a seven-year term on December 23, 1986, his poor health and advanced age led to speculation about who would succeed him. Possible contenders included his son-in-law General Ahmed Suleiman Abdille, then the Minister of the Interior, in addition to Samatar. In an effort to hold on to power, Barre's ruling Supreme Revolutionary Council (SRC) became increasingly totalitarian and arbitrary. This caused opposition to his government to grow. Barre tried to quell

5712-500: The northern part of the country: Somaliland and Puntland . This led to a relative decrease in the intensity of the fighting, with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute removing Somalia from its list of major armed conflicts for 1997 and 1998. In 2000, the Transitional National Government was established, followed by the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in 2004. The trend toward reduced conflict halted in 2005, and sustained and destructive conflict took place in

5796-423: The northwest, and the United Somali Congress in the south. The clan-based armed opposition groups overthrew the Barre government in 1991. Various armed factions began competing for influence in the power vacuum and turmoil that followed, particularly in the south. In 1990–92, customary law temporarily collapsed, and factional fighting proliferated. In the absence of a central government, Somalia became

5880-450: The rebellion that eventually toppled Siad Barre from power 13 years later. In May 1986, Barre suffered serious injuries in a car crash near Mogadishu , when the car transporting him smashed into the back of a bus during a heavy rainstorm. He was treated in a hospital in Saudi Arabia for head injuries, broken ribs and shock for a month. Lieutenant General Mohamed Ali Samatar , then Vice President, served as de facto head of state for

5964-564: The short-lived Digil-Mirifle Governing Council for the southern Bay and Bakool regions, which was established in March 1995. Some of the militias that were then competing for power saw UNOSOM's presence as a threat to their hegemony. Consequently, gun battles took place in Mogadishu between local gunmen and peacekeepers. Among these was the Battle of Mogadishu in October 1993, part of an unsuccessful operation by U.S. troops to apprehend Somali National Alliance faction leader Mohamed Farah Aidid . UN soldiers eventually withdrew altogether from

6048-549: The south in 2005–07, but the battle was of a much lower scale and intensity than in the early 1990s. In 2006, Ethiopian troops invaded Somalia to depose the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and install the TFG. The ICU effectively disintegrated, and soon after a large scale insurgency began against the occupation as other Islamist groups formed and established themselves as independent actors. Most notably Al-Shabaab rose to prominence in this period, and has since been fighting

6132-508: The south, armed factions led by USC commanders General Mohamed Farah Aidid and Ali Mahdi Mohamed , in particular, clashed as each sought to exert authority over the capital. In the northwest, at the Burao conference of April–May 1991, the SNM declared an independent Republic of Somaliland in the region that had constituted the British Somaliland before independence and unification with

6216-505: The south-central part of the country between 1993 and 1995 also generally had a positive impact. Aidid subsequently declared himself President of Somalia on June 15, 1995. However, his declaration received no recognition, as his rival Ali Mahdi Muhammad had already been elected interim President at a conference in Djibouti and recognized as such by the international community. Consequently, Aidid's faction continued its quest for hegemony in

6300-533: The south. In September 1995, militia forces loyal to him attacked and occupied the city of Baidoa. Aidid's forces remained in control of Baidoa from September 1995 to at least January 1996, while the local Rahanweyn Resistance Army militia continued to engage his forces in the town's environs. Fighting continued in the later half of 1995 in southern Kismayo and the Juba Valley , as well as southwestern and central Somalia. However, despite these pockets of conflict,

6384-437: The territory vulnerable to piracy and terrorist attacks. On December 29, 2008, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed announced before a united parliament in Baidoa his resignation as President of Somalia . In his speech, which was broadcast on national radio, Yusuf expressed regret at failing to end the country's seventeen-year conflict as his government had mandated to do. He also blamed the international community for its failure to support

6468-436: The town of Beledwene , situated in southern Somalia. The cruelty and magnitude of this atrocity highlighted the degree to which the government was prepared to go to quash any sort of opposition or resistance, displaying a blatant disregard for human rights and the worth of human life. Another notable instance of Barre 's repressive policies occurred in the city of Baidoa , which earned the nickname 'the city of death' due to

6552-487: The tragic events that unfolded there during the famine and civil war. It is worth noting that hundreds of thousands of individuals lost their lives as a consequence of governmental strategies specifically aimed at the Rahanweyn community residing in these areas. In response to these humanitarian abuses, Western aid donors cut funding to the Somali regime which, at the time, was heavily reliant on foreign aid. This resulted in

6636-426: The unrest by abandoning appeals to nationalism, relying more and more on his own inner circle, and exploiting historical clan animosities. By the mid-1980s, more resistance movements supported by Ethiopia 's communist Derg administration had sprung up across the country. Barre responded by ordering punitive measures against those he perceived as supporting the guerrillas, especially in the north. The clampdown included

6720-490: Was also killed in 1878 at Agaaran, near Marka by the Bimal. Ensuing Merca independence from Geledi's overrule. The Biimaal Sultanate maintained armies, courts, prisons, and were highly dynamic and out seeking eager to link with global trade. They invited experts from India and around the world, to train their people in skills such as weaving, textile industry, milling and agricultural production, and topographical surveys used to make irrigation canals. This massive development

6804-526: Was amended in February 2007 to allow states to supply weapons to the TFG's security forces, provided that they received prior approval from the UN's Somalia Sanctions Committee. After long discussions, the African Union approved the initial deployment of the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) in March 2007. It established a "small triangle of protection" around Mogadishu's airport, seaport, and

6888-908: Was elected as the president of the state of Udubland. Politicians Religious leaders Sheikh Abdi Abikar Gafle , famous religious leader and warrior Macalin Mursal , one of the Biimal revolt leaders Sheikh Abdurahman Mubarak, one of the most famous sheikhs in Somalia Sheikh Xassan Yusuf Sheikh Macalin Shiikheey, one of the famous Somali clerics Sheik Mohammed Kulale Activists Mohamed Amiin Addow local and international journalist, served Radio Shabelle, CNN and Swedish Radio & Asad Haashi, politician, highly influential person in horn of africa and served as east africa regional director of INTERSOL Denmark. Merca Merca ( Somali : Marka , Arabic : ماركا )

6972-4102: Was giving a speech. According to the UNDP in 2005, Merca had a population of around 250,000inhabitants. it is primarily inhabited by Biimaal Clan with there being a recognizable amount of other Somali tribes. Merca has a jetty -class seaport , the Port of Merca . The nearest airport to the city is the K50 Airport in the Lower Shebelle province. Otherwise, most people take the Aden Adde Airport in Mogadishu and then take an hour and 30 minute bus ride to Merca Somali Civil War Ongoing 1980s–91 : [REDACTED] Somali Democratic Republic 1980s–91 : Armed rebel groups: 1992–95 : [REDACTED]   United Nations 2006–09 : [REDACTED]   Ethiopia [REDACTED] Transitional Federal Government [REDACTED] AMISOM [REDACTED]   United States Allied armed groups: 2009–present : [REDACTED] Al-Qaeda [REDACTED] Islamic State (from 2015) 1980s–91 : [REDACTED] Mohammed Siad Barre [REDACTED] Mohammad Ali Samatar [REDACTED] Omar Haji Mohamed [REDACTED] Hussein Sheikh Abdirahman 1992–95 : [REDACTED] Kurt Waldheim [REDACTED] Javier Pérez de Cuéllar [REDACTED] Boutros Boutros-Ghali 2006 : [REDACTED] Botan Ise Alin [REDACTED] Mohamed Afrah Qanyare [REDACTED] Musa Sudi Yalahow [REDACTED] Nuur Daqle [REDACTED] Abdi Hasan Awale [REDACTED] Omar Finnish 2006–09 : [REDACTED] Girma Wolde-Giorgis [REDACTED] Meles Zenawi [REDACTED] Kuma Demeksa [REDACTED] Siraj Fegessa [REDACTED] Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed [REDACTED] Francisco Caetano Jose Madeira [REDACTED] Simon Mulongo [REDACTED] Tigabu Yilma Wondlmhunean [REDACTED] Augustine Magnus Kailie [REDACTED] George W. Bush [REDACTED] Donald Rumsfeld [REDACTED] Robert Gates 2009–present: [REDACTED] Hassan Sheikh Mohamud [REDACTED] Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed [REDACTED] Mohamed Hussein Roble [REDACTED] Hassan Mohomed Amardanbe [REDACTED] Odowaa Yusuf Rageh [REDACTED] Francisco Caetano Jose Madeira [REDACTED] Simon Mulongo [REDACTED] Tigabu Yilma Wondlmhunean [REDACTED] Augustine Magnus Kailie [REDACTED] Mohamed El-Amine Souef [REDACTED] Sam Okiding [REDACTED] Hillary Sao Kanu 1980s–91 : [REDACTED] Mohamed Farrah Aidid [REDACTED] Mohamed Abshir Muse [REDACTED] Ahmed Omar Jess [REDACTED] Shukri Weyrah Kaariye [REDACTED] Gedi Ugas Madhar [REDACTED] Aden Abdullahi Nur [REDACTED] Mohammed Said Hersi Morgan 1992–95 : [REDACTED] Ali Mahdi Muhammad [REDACTED] Mohamed Farrah Aidid [REDACTED] Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki [REDACTED] Hassan Dahir Aweys 2006: [REDACTED] Sharif Sheikh Ahmed 2006–09 : [REDACTED] Sharif Sheikh Ahmed [REDACTED] Ahmed Abdi Godane [REDACTED] Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki [REDACTED] Mohamed Ibrahim Hayle [REDACTED] Mukhtar Abu Ali Aisha [REDACTED] Mohamed Mire 2009–present [REDACTED] Ahmad Diriye [REDACTED] Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi [REDACTED] Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi [REDACTED] Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi [REDACTED] Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurash Battles The Somali Civil War ( Somali : Dagaalkii Sokeeye ee Soomaaliya ; Arabic : الحرب الأهلية الصومالية al-ḥarb al-’ahliyya aṣ-ṣūmāliyya )

7056-714: Was the Mudug peace agreement of June 1993 between Aidid's forces and the SSDF, which established a ceasefire between the Haber Gedir and the Majeerteen clans, opened the trade routes, and formalized the withdrawal of militants from Galkayo ; the UNOSOM-mediated Hirab reconciliation of January 1994 in Mogadishu between elders of the rival Abgal and Haber Gedir clans, which was backed by politicians from these constituencies and concluded with

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