Political History on Somalia

Somali Warlords Issue

Mogadishu 1993.
Majority- Nomads/Farmers. Almost all Sunni Muslims.
Lawless, Bankrupt, War-torn. No Effective Govt since 1991.
Conflict caused by Group of War-Lords and Clan based Factions all

vying for Power.

Colonised by British & Italians till late 19cent. Two Protectorates.

1960 they merged

1977 War with Ethiopia, invaded The Ogaden Desert inhabited by

Somalian Nomads. Success.

Military and Economic Aid from Soviet. Cold War. Soviet plan to

dominate trade routes through Suez Canal & Persian Gulf.

Soviet change allegiance to Ethiopia after cease fire failure.
Ba now turned to US. Military base of Berbara. Economic and Military

Aid
Humanitarian & Human rights disregard, International pressure, US

reduced its aid

End of Cold War. End of strategic importance of Somalia to either side
Warlords in North were armed and funded by Ethiopia
Ba -> Dictatorial regime. Main Opposition-United Somalia Congress

(dominated by warlords).
Ba ousted, 1991. Exiled in Kenya
Controlling the all Warlord factions became difficult for new

Government. Battle for Supremacy. Chaos. Bloody Civil War.

Power struggle- Poverty Bankruptcy, Drought, Disease, Famines,

Deaths-children, ->Migration(Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti).

UN intervention. Warlords ceasefire. Warlords allowed loot of relief,
hijack food convoys. More UN peace core. Angers Warlords. UN troops

attacked. Demand UN withdrawal from country.

US intervention sanctioned by Security Council. Ensure free flow of
Food, crush warlords, bring stability. Operation Restore Hope After

operation handover military operations of Somalia to UN.

US withdraw troops. Warlords became active. Attack on UN troops.
Reply- Operation Gothic Serpent. Heavy casualties. More troops for
short term cover. 1994, US Troops pulled out. Few months later UN
troops withdraw.

Few years later, Somalia drifted into chaos and anarchy. Mohammed
Idid dead. Warlords came together Alliance for restoration of peace

and Counter-Terrorism(ARPCT). Weak transitional Government.

Group of Islamic Fundamentalist setup Shariat Courts. Strict.
ARPCT vs Islamic Fundamentalist. Warlords funded by US. Islamist

gained upper hand. Warlords fled to Ethiopia.

Ethiopia(with US help) vs Islamists in Somalia. Pushed Islamists out.
2007 US offensive on Islamist positions. After which Warlords asserted

themselves again. Islamist vs Warlords+Ethiopians

Officially recognised as a stateless society.

India-Somalia Relations

located on the Horn of Africa, longest coastline in Africa, homogenous

with respect to religion and language-Arabic and English

Economy- Agriculture, Livestock, fisheries, telecommunications and

remittances
Indian participation in United Task Force (UNITAF) in United Nations

Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM) in 1991 Civil war

Indian traders have been trading with the Horn of Africa since ancient

times.
New stable Government under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

formed after transitional Govt.

Somalia is among the partner countries of Pan African e-Network
project. India offers Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation
(ITEC) training scholarships and Indian Council for Cultural Relations

(ICCR) scholarships to Somalia.

Somalia qualifies for Indias offer of unilateral duty free tariff

preferential market access for export of goods and services to India.

The Indian Navy has been involved in anti-piracy patrolling in the Gulf
of Aden since 2008.

Piracy Issue