Somalia: History

Pre-20th-Century History

Originally, Somalis probably hail from the southern Ethiopian highlands, and have been subject to a strong Arabic influence ever since the 7th century, when the Somali coast formed part of the extensive Arab-controlled trans-Indian Ocean trading network.

In the 19th century much of the Ogaden Desert - ethnically a part of Somalia - was annexed by Ethiopia (an invasion that has been a source of bad blood ever since) and then in 1888 the country was divided by European powers. The French got the area around Djibouti, Britain much of the north, while Italy got Puntland and the south. Sayid Maxamed Cabdulle Xasan (known affectionately as 'the Mad Mullah') fought the British for two decades, but it wasn't until 1960 that Somaliland, Puntland and southern Somalia were united, which wasn't altogether a good idea.

Modern History

Sadly, inter-clan tensions, radical socialism, rearmament by the USSR and the occasional (often disastrous) war with Ethiopia helped tear the country apart. Mohammed Siad Barre, Somalia's last recognised leader, fled to Nigeria in 1991 after the forces of General Aideed took Mogadishu. At the same time the Somali National Movement (SNM), moved quickly and declared independence for Somaliland. Puntland also broke away.

Fierce battles between warring factions throughout southern Somalia took place throughout the 1990s, but in 1992 the US led a UN mission (Operation Restore Hope) to distribute food aid to the southern population. Without much ado a nasty little conflict between the US-UN and warlord General Aideed began, during which it's estimated that thousands of Somalis died. The last UN troops pulled out in 1995 having alleviated the famine to some extent, but the nation was still a disaster area.

Thanks mainly to the predominance of a single clan (the Isaq), Somaliland has remained largely peaceful and stable since 1991. It has great oil and gas potential and voted for complete independence in 1997 before holding free presidential elections in 2003 (although opposition parties now don't recognise the victory of President Dahir Riyale Kahin). However, the fledgling state is not officially recognised by the international community, which still hopes for a peace agreement covering all of Somalia.

Puntland is a different kettle of fish. It too did reasonably well up until 2001, when President Colonel Yusuf refused to stand down after losing an election, a point he reinforced by waging a little war.

Recent History

Designed to establish control across the whole of the country, Somalia's lame-duck Transitional National Government (TNG) was set up in 2000. Alas, it still controls only about a third of Mogadishu and is periodically kicked out of its offices for nonpayment of bills. In 2002 the Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council (SRRC) created a government for southwest Somalia; later that year 21 warring factions in the south and the TNG agreed to a cessation of hostilities for Kenyan-sponsored peace talks, although most of the delegates seemed more concerned with their private fiefdoms and quality of their Kenyan hotel accommodation than creating a viable state.

In January 2004 talks in Kenya led to a breakthrough: political and militia leaders struck up a deal to form a new parliment. By August, the new transitional parliament was up and running, and as its first task set about scouting around for a president.

Though 2800 miles (4500km) from the epicentre of the earthquake, Somalia lost an estimated 300 people to the December 2004 tsunami, with a further 50,000 people displaced.

In June and July 2006, Islamist militias, operating under an umbrella calling itself Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), toppled the warlords in Mogadishu and imposed their rule over southern Somalia, except in the Baidoa area, which is still controlled by the transitional government.

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