The Civil War in Somalia - Essay Example

The War in Somalia               Introduction The war in Somalia has been an ongoing concern for international organizations such as the United Nations as well as neighboring countries as the fight for control of the country has wore on between the different existing factions. The civil war began in 1991 when a collection of opposition groups joined forces to oust the government of the day in a daring coup détat that ousted the long standing government of the country. However, though the government was successfully removed from power, the opposition groups were unable to agree on whom the new leaders of the country should be and thus a vacuum in power was created which the different groups fought to occupy. This led to a period when the country underwent a form of decentralization as independent regional governments were formed in the North by different groups (Thomashausen, 2002). The Civil War of 1986 The war against the ruling Somali government began near the end of the 1970s when the then socialist government began seeking out individuals suspected of taking part in the attempted coup détat of 1978 and executing them. Though the government captured many of these individuals who were military and government officials, a number of them managed to escape and flee the country (Degu, 2007). These ex officials began to form the first dissident groups that were determined to see Major General Mohamed Siad Barre, the leader of the government removed from power even if it meant the use of force. The demise of the ruling government and its army was the source of a power vacuum that was left as a result, and the main cause for the civil war that ensued thereafter as the different factions that had fought together to oust the Major general now fought with one another as each tried to assume control of essential regions most notably, the country’s capital (Thomashausen, 2002). Groups that had once been allies turned into foes as they failed to see eye to eye and agree over who should assume control from the fallen general leading to bloody clashes in which countless of innocent lives were lost in the process as they were caught up in between the warring factions. Though the conflict existed before this time, the main focus will be on the war from 1991 onwards for the purpose of this essay. Background of the Civil War In the year 1992, the United Nations decided to become involved in the civil war through helping those who were affected by it via providing human relief to those who were affected as well as help restore order in the country. One of the ways in which the UN strived to achieve these objectives was through operation restore hope that was handled by the 10th Mountain Division. The aim of this operation was to secure the major cities as well as access roads so to ensure that the UN were able to have safe passage to these areas to provide relief aid to thousands of innocent people who were suffering as a result of the civil war (Degu, 2007). These were individuals not involved in the fighting that was taking place, but became causalities of either way as they lost their homes and their possessions after they were forced to flee to safeguard their lives. Operation restore hope provided a safe haven for innocent Somali people who has nowhere to go and were looking for protection as well as help and served to give them hope for a promising future thus the reasoning behind its name (Thomashausen, 2002). Effects of the Conflict on the Country The civil war in Somalia led to a number of effects that resulted in the deterioration of the country due to the conflicts past and present that have taken place in the region. This is no surprise as no country can experience a war whether civil or with external forces and come out of it unaffected. With regard to Somalia, the effects are worse as the conflict that is taking place has been ongoing since the early 1990s to date meaning the country has not been given any time to recover from the repercussions that have occurred as a result (Ramsbotham, Woodhouse & Miall, 2005). The length of the conflict has been a major concern for both the country and external interests as it is highly suspected that should it continue in this manner, the region may not be able to ever fully recover unless the war comes to an end in the near future, in this case, the sooner the better. The country has been affected in numerous ways as a result of this conflict, but two major sectors can be said to stand out are the economy of the region as well as the standard and quality of living of those residing in the country (MacGinty & Williams, 2009). Effect of the Conflict on the Economy The civil war has highly affected the economy of Somalia for the worse as the country’s currency has continued on a downward spiral since the beginning of the war and has now reached a level that the preferred monetary interaction is done via the use of foreign currencies such as the American dollar instead of the own denominations (Ramsbotham, Woodhouse & Miall, 2005). This is because the country’s currency has lost so much value that is no longer desirable in any market and thus can be said to be useless as a matter of fact. There are a number of reasons that this has happened, some of these include: Decline In Trade – The civil war in the country has made it impossible for one to set up any type of self sustaining business within the region as most areas are no where near safe enough to set up shop without the risk of finding oneself in the middle of an attack either by the Islam extremist groups or the Transitional government as they strive to quash the surges of these factions. As a result, one is not able to conduct their business without the fear of not only experience losses in terms of capital and investment but their own lives as well. The issue of the supply of goods is also an issue as a trader may be required to import the items they are selling which is risky considering they can be ambushed by the warring factions in transit leading to an accumulation of loss if this happens repeatedly (Nhema & Zeleza, 2008). Even if an individual was able to find a safe place where they could conduct their business, the question of who their customers would be would also arise as many of the Somali people are poverty stricken and living on hand to mouth. This population depends on the mercy of external aide such as the Red Cross and the United Nations for food rations and other items in order to help them survive and thus would be unable to purchase anything even if they were offered the opportunity (Archer, 2001). The situation facing the trading environment in the region can thus be considered to be cyclic in nature where one is not able to set up shop because of the effects of the war, and there are no potential consumers even if this was possible again due to the effects of the war. Trade is the backbone of any country and without a region is not able to prosper thus ensuring the country remains in its poverty stricken status (Ramsbotham, Woodhouse & Miall, 2005). Lack of Banking Structures – Most banks are not tempted to open up branches in the country due to the insecurity that prevails in the region meaning there is no adequate banking structure set up in the area. The banks that are present are mostly positioned in the major cities where they are assured of protection by the government and thus if one may need such services they may be required to travel long distances to acquire them, a prospect that is not attractive to many (Archer, 2001). The lack of a healthy number of banks also means that those that are there are able to control factors such as interest rates available as there is hardly any competition allowing them to raise it as high as they want. Most banks present in the region are mainly set up to serve the expatriates operating in the country and are not concerned with the needs of the locals. Lack of Job Opportunities – The consistent conflict in the region has also meant that is a lack of job opportunities due to the decrease in trading opportunities. The fact that locals lack the resources as well as the environment to set up businesses means that there are few employment opportunities that are available (Nhema & Zeleza, 2008). The opportunities themselves are not spread around the country and are mainly concentrated in the major cities meaning those living in the rural regions have an even smaller chance of getting employed unless they move, an option that is easier said than done for most people (MacGinty & Williams, 2009). The transitional government also has its hands full with battling the opposing factions to concentrate on creating jobs for its citizens, and as a result it means lesser taxes, which is the main income of most governments. The employment opportunities available are mostly taken up by expatriates as well as most local individuals lack the skills to occupy the needed positions and the available jobs are from international organizations that prefer bringing their own people in as they have little faith in the capabilities of the local workers (Kelly-Kate, 2008). This leaves meager positions such as cleaners and messengers to be occupied by the local work force with hardly a chance of making progress in their career from such a position. Effect of the Conflict on the Lives of the Citizens As a result of the poor state of the economy among other factors, the lives of the citizens of the country have been majorly and negatively affected by the conflict taking place in the region. This is to no surprise as lives of the citizens of countries involved by war are always negatively affected by the repercussions (MacGinty & Williams, 2009). The Somali people can be said to have been affected more than most due to the length of the conflict. The lives of the citizens of Somali has been affected in a number of ways, some include: Standard Of Living – The standard of living of Somali citizens has drastically decreased over the past years as the war has continued to rage on. The warring factions have moved around the region causing harm and destruction wherever they went leading to the downfall of many businesses that has resulted in a heightened rate of unemployment in the country. The lack of employment has made it harder for individuals to make ends meet as they now have no source of income to rely upon while important items such food and clothing has only continued to rise in price as they become scarcer. The rise in prices coupled with the lack of income has led to the reduction of the standard of living that individuals were previously able to enjoy despite the totalitarian government. Homes have also been vacated as individuals flee for their lives, and the conflict has forced many citizens to move into refugee camps in foreign countries where they are forced share a tent with more than one family under miserable conditions depending on the goodness of others (MacGinty & Williams, 2009). Children have also been orphaned as a result of the war as their parents become casualties of war leaving them alone with no one to fend for them. Some of these children lost their parents at such an early age that they do not remember where they came from or whether they have any other family members in the region giving them the sense that they are totally alone in the world. Quality of Life – The quality of the lives of the Somali citizens have also been affected in a major way as the conflict has taken them through traumatizing and life changing events. Individuals are no longer able to feel safe in their own homes as they live in fear of attack at any time. The freedom of movement is no longer available as one is scared of meeting up with the wrong people should they leave the safety of protected cities, which in themselves are not exactly safe as they prone to attack(Nhema & Zeleza, 2008). Children and adults alike have seen their loved ones die in the midst of attacks by the Islam extremists while others have been kidnapped for ransom to raise funds for the war by these factions. Such experiences leave one emotionally and psychologically scarred, and some may be unable to sleep at night as a result of nightmares that reoccur whenever they close their eyes. The quality of life for such individuals has been immensely affected as they may not be able to ever recover from such experiences even after the conflict ceases. The Relationship between Conflict and Poverty Conflict and poverty are two problems in a region that go hand in hand especially when conflict is at the forefront. A region suffering from internal or even external conflict will have its economy affected as they focus their resources on means with which to win the war they are fighting therefore negating them from more prosperous ventures such as the building and maintenance of things like infrastructure which would help in raising trading activities within the region (Agerbak, 1991). Governments dealing with conflict are also prone to focus the tax money that they receive on the purchase of items such as artillery which in no way help the cause of progression and bettering the country. Items dealing with war cannot be put into another use once the war is over and thus do not help the growth of the economy when time comes to rebuild the nation (Agerbak, 1991). Businesses also suffer during times of conflict as individuals are no longer able to focus on growing their companies as such as they close up shop either to join in the war or run away from it. The youth also make up most of the members of the army and the large casualties that are suffered during this period of time result in the lack of a work force when the conflict is finally over (Agerbak, 1991). A viable work force is the backbone in any economy and without it a country is not able to prosper from the efforts that would have otherwise been put in by these young individuals. In this way, conflict in a region will lead to poverty in the end as well. On the other hand, poverty as well can also lead to conflict in a region. A country suffering from lack of resources will lead to fights and arguments breaking out among various groups as they struggle for the few resources that are available. This may lead to conflict between these various groups as they struggle for the control of the resources knowing that whoever controls them holds power over the rest (Agerbak, 1991). Poverty also leads to grievances such as hunger and starvation which is enough to drive a man to violence as they are willing to do anything to relieve their suffering. This may include raiding their neighbors of the food and other resources that they may have and as a result these neighbors will strike back leading to a war breaking out. With these case scenarios in mind, it can be said that conflict and poverty have a relationship whereby one can occur as a result of the other and vice versa. So in order to stop either one of the two one will have to resolve both issues as they are technically one problem (Agerbak, 1991). Resolving conflict in a region will allow it to concentrate on rebuilding and thus elevate the poverty levels that it has suffered as a result of the war while dealing with the issues of poverty will limit the potential for conflict in a region as a prosperous people are less likely to look for reasons to go to war with one another (Agerbak, 1991). Conflict Resolution and Prevention in the Region International and regional organizations in Somalia have done their best to prevent the conflict from getting any worse as they look for means of resolving it for the sake of the country. Some of these solutions have not been as successful as one may wish while others have helped to improve the state of the country. The UN for example has formed the Employment Generation for Early Recovery (EGER), a program that is meant to assist the transitional government in building their institutions such as law enforcement and youth employment in a bid to build the country up on its way to recovery (Nhema & Zeleza, 2008). So far these funds have helped the transitional government develop the country despite the conflict going on in other areas. The involvement of other countries such as the US armed forces has helped to secure major cities ensuring that the country is not overrun by the militia that are against the TFG and prevent them from becoming war zones (MacGinty & Williams, 2009). Although much can be said on the involvement of the international organizations and their efforts to stifle the conflict in Somalia, they have not exactly been wholly successful as conflict still persists in some areas of the country (Nhema & Zeleza, 2008). However, this can be blamed on the Islamic extremists who whenever have sat down for talks have made unreasonable demands that they have refuse to budge from despite the government’s best efforts at negotiating peace talks to end the violence. The extremists have maintained their attacks and have refused to listen to reason claiming they will not stop until their demands are met such as the enforcement of Sheria (Islamic) law to the country which would not be fair to other religious groups in the region. Means of Preventing and Minimizing Of Human Casualties There are a number of ways that International organizations are able to prevent the casualties that occur from the conflict in Somalia, some of these include securing cities and access roads to ensure that they can be used safely with little chance of ambush by those who are escaping conflict zones (MacGinty & Williams, 2009). The Red Cross has also played a huge role in the prevention of casualties through the provision of medical services for those who may have been injured as well as items such as food and warm clothing to prevent circumstances such as starvation or hyperthermia which are just as deadly as physical wounds (Bennet & Oliver, 2001). International organizations have also played a big role in the rehabilitation and rebuilding of structures after a conflict through their monetary donations to the governments as well as the provision of skilled labour for rebuilding projects involving infrastructures such as roads. Their contribution in terms of advice has also assisted governments that are in the rebuilding process find their way through the many issues required of them quickly and efficiently. The contributions of these organizations have fastened the process of rebuilding of countries that have suffered as a result of conflict and ensured that they are not left behind by the rest of the world (MacGinty & Williams, 2009). In conclusion, though these organizations have been able to help countries suffering from conflict there are still a number of dilemmas that they still face as they strive to offer their assistance of which topping the table would be the resistance of the opposition/rival factions (Bennet & Oliver, 2001). These groups see these organizations as collaborators to the governments they seek to usurp and thus make an effort to destroy any contribution made by them. This is one of the issues that need to be resolved quickly to allow for a higher chance of success of the of the governments’ projects/contributions.         References Agerbak, L. (1991). Breaking the Cycle of Violence: Doing Development in Situations Conflict. Development in Practice, 1(3), 151-158. Archer, C. (2001). International Organisations. New York: Routledge Bennet, A. L & Oliver, J. K. (2001). International Organizations: Principles and Issues. New York: Prentice Hall. Degu, W. A (2007). The State, the Crisis of State Institutions, And Refugee Migration In The Horn of Africa: The Cases of Ethiopia, Sudan, and Somalia. Trenton, NJ: Red Sea Press. Kelly-Kate S. P. (2008) International Organizations: Perspectives on Governance In The Twenty-First Century. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall. MacGinty, R. and Williams, A. (2009) Conflict and Development. New York: Routledge Nhema, A. and Zeleza, P.T., (eds.) (2008). The Resolution of African Conflicts: The Management of Conflict Resolution and Post-Conflict Reconstruction. Ohio: Ohio University Press. Ramsbotham, O., Woodhouse, T & Miall, H. (2005). Contemporary Conflict Resolution: The Prevention, Management and Transformation of Deadly Conflicts. New York: Polity.  Thomashausen, S. (2002). Humanitarian intervention in an evolving world order: the Cases of Iraq, Somalia, Kosovo, and East Timor. Pretoria: Sophie Africa Institute of South Africa. Read More