Somalia Today
GEOGRAPHY		HISTORY
Cultural Regions	Economic Data	1. Origins	2. Colonial Period
Physical Geography	Maps	3. Independence	4. Somalia Today

The departure of Siad Barre left Somalia in the hands of several clan-based guerrilla groups who did not trust each other.

On January 29, 1991, Ali Mahdi Mohamed was appointed interim president by the United Somali Congress (USC). On May 18, 1991, the Somali national movement proclaimed the independence of northern Somalia, formerly British Somaliland. In July 1991, peace talks aimed at ending the rivalries among Somali factions took place in Djibouti. The Djibouti Agreement was signed but soon became ineffective.

In November 1991, fighting intensified in Mogadishu between factions loyal to interim president Ali Mahdi and USC President General Mohamed Farah Aidid. In February 1992, a ceasefire was arranged through UN mediation. In April 1992, the UN agreed to send military observers to monitor the ceasefire. In May 1992, Mohamed Siad Barre fled to Kenya after his unsuccessful attempt to retake Mogadishu.

In 1992, the worst drought in Africa occurred. In July 1992, the UN Secretary-General alerted the world to the Somali disaster, noting that little attention had been given to the "war of the poor." The UN estimated that 1.5 million Somalis were at imminent risk of starving due to famine and civil war. On August 28, 1992, the UN Security Council called for the dispatch of 3,000 soldiers with 500 Pakistani soldiers destined for Mogadishu. On August 31, 1992, Canada sent 750 troops to Somalia.

Warlord Mohamed Farah Aidid ambushed UN troops and dragged dead Americans through the streets, causing a turnaround in America's willingness to get involved in the fate of this anarchic country.

Peace talks in Kenya seemed to be moving slowly but steadily towards an agreement on an interim government, at least in principle, but collapsed on March 23, 1994. The last US soldiers left the country in March, leaving 19,000 UN soldiers behind.

In summary, Somalia has been engulfed in anarchy since 1991. Years of peace negotiations among various factions have been fruitless, and warlords and militias reign over different parts of the territory. In 1991, a separatist nation, the Republic of Somaliland, proclaimed its independence. Since then, several warlords have established their own mini-states: Colonel Jama Ali Jama is the president of the separatist Puntland, and "General Morgan" Mohamed Said Hersi rules over Jubaland since the fall of 1998. This is the prelude to the fragmentation of Somalia into small, more or less autonomous and more or less durable states, depending on conflicts and alliances between clan leaders. Except for Somaliland, an independent state with its own currency, flag, national anthem, police, and army, they all envision their future within a Somali federation. At the height of the conflict for control of the capital Mogadishu, Ethiopia invaded the country.

Document 1: New Somali National Anthem, created in 2000

To download this anthem, click on the flag and wait a moment.

Document 2: 20 Shillings Banknote of the North Forces of Mogadishu

   

Document 3: Mogadishu, a city ravaged by war