Somalia. (Areas of Conflict).

Although armed opposition to the government of Mohammed Siad Barre had existed for many years, the war began in earnest in May 1988. That was when the Somali National Movement (SNM) began fighting the government in northwestern Somalia. Other armed opposition groups, mainly clan-based, arose over the next few years in southern Somalia.

In 1991, President Barre's regime was deposed and the capital city, Mogadishu, was occupied by the United Somali Congress (USC). Shortly after, the SNM declared the northwest independent, although "Somaliland" has not been recognized by the international community. Since 1991 Somalia has been without a central government.

During the 23 months after Siad Barre was thrown out about 50,000 people were killed in factional fighting. An estimated 300,000 died of starvation as it became impossible to distribute food in the war-ravaged nation.

On 9 December 1992, a UN peacekeeping force landed. International agencies soon resumed food distribution and other humanitarian aid. However, fighting among clans continued and the UN troops were withdrawn in March 1994.

With the UN out of the way, the main clan leaders were free to pick up their war where they left off in December 1992. General Mohammed Farrah Aidid and Ali Mahdi Mohammed signed an agreement in March 1995 to disengage their fighters. But, before the ink was dry fighting broke out again. Earlier agreements had collapsed just as quickly.

It's hard to imagine a worse situation than the one that prevails in Somalia. There is no government and no law. Armed gangs wander freely. In 1997, following unsuccessful attempts by the Arab League, the Organization of African Unity, and the UN to end the fighting, more than 20 clans signed the Cairo Declaration. This established a 13-person Council of Presidents, a Prime Minister, and National Assembly, institutions that never were created. Clan leaders in the northeast proclaimed the formation of the "Puntland" state in mid-1998, though it was not regionally or internationally recognized as sovereign.

After numerous failed peace efforts, Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh announced at the UN General Assembly in September 1999 his initiative to bring about peace and reconciliation in Somalia. With the help of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, the initiative called for the warlords to step aside and allow representatives of Somali civil society groups to administer the war-ravaged country.

In August 2000, a transitional parliament, based on clan representation, was formed in Djibouti and a new president Abdulqassim Salad Hassan was elected by parliament members. However, the support of key Mogadishu warlords and the leaders from Somaliland and Puntland is still missing.

In 2001, rival clans continued to beat up on each other throughout Somalia, with the most intense fighting in years taking place in Mogadishu. According to reports more than 400 people were killed by the end of September, mostly civilians due to stray fire.

Websites

Banadir - http://www.banadir.com/

Partnership Africa Canada - http:// www.partnershipafricacanada.org/

Somalia Home Page - http:// www.abyssiniacybergateway.net/somalia/index.html