Somali Civil War
The current civil war in Somalia began with the overthrow of President Said Barre's government in 1991, when many armed groups carried out a brutal uprising to remove him from office. Since then, one of the longest-running wars in history has wreaked havoc across the whole nation. Due to circumstances including famine, open conflict, terrorist raids, disease, and piracy on its northern coastlines, among many others, the conflict that has killed anywhere between 450,000 and 1.5 million people so far has caused the displacement of almost 2.6 million Somalis.
Extremist groups like al-Shabaab are among the rebelling factions, which frequently prompts the government's forces to respond harshly, worsening the situation for civilians. The involvement of numerous nations in the battle, including the armies of Ethiopia, Kenya, the United States, and the African Union, as well as mercenaries and illegal foreign combatants like Al-Qaeda, has made matters more complicated. Despite widespread reports of war crimes and atrocities committed against civilians, international efforts to end the conflict have so far been ineffective.
Date: 1991 (disputed) – present
Location: Somalia
Result: Ongoing conflict
- Fall of the Siad Barre administration
- Consolidation of states
- Conflict between radical Islamists and the government
- De facto independence of Somaliland
- New government formed in 2012
Territorial changes: Somaliland declares independence; Somalia loses 27.6% of its territory
