Somali Civil War (2009–present)

present phase of the Somali Civil War, concentrated in SSC-Khatumo and southern Somalia

This is the newer part of the Somali Civil War which began in 2009. It is mainly between the al-Shabaab jihadist group and the Somali government. It is mainly happening in southern and central Somalia and parts of north eastern Kenya. It began in early February 2009 with the conflict between the forces of the Federal Government of Somalia, supported by African Union peacekeeping troops.

Somali Civil War (2009–present)
Part of the Somali Civil War and the war on terror

Military situation in Somalia as of September 2024
   Under control of the Somali government and allies
   Under control of Al-Shabaab and allies
  Under control of the Islamic State
   Under control of the self-declared state of Somaliland
  Disputed territory between the government of Somaliland and the Puntland State of Somalia
(For a more detailed map of the current military situation, see here)
Date31 January 2009 – present
(15 years, 10 months, 3 weeks and 1 day)
Location
Somalia, Northeastern Kenya
Status

Ongoing

Belligerents

Al-Qaeda

Hizbul Islam (until 2010; 2012–2014)
Allegedly supported by:
 Eritrea[2][3]


 ISIL (from 2015)[4][5]

 Somalia

 United States[6][7]

Supported by:
 United Kingdom[9]
 Turkey[10]

Non-combat support:
 European Union[11]
Commanders and leaders

Ahmad Umar
(Emir of al-Shabaab)
Fuad Qalaf (former)
Abu Mansur Surrendered
Moktar Ali Zubeyr 
Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki Surrendered
Mohamed Said Atom Surrendered
Ibrahim Haji Jama Mee'aad  Executed[15]
Hassan Dahir Aweys  Surrendered
Omar Iman (former)
Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki 
Abu Musa Mombasa (former)
Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan 
Fazul Abdullah Mohammed 


Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Sheikh Abdul Qadir Mumin
(leader of ISS)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi
(ISIL caliph from 2022)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi 
(ISIL caliph 2019-2022)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi 
(ISIL caliph until 2019)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Mahad Maalin 
(ISS deputy)

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Abdihakim Mohamed Ibrahim ("Dhoqob") 
(ISS deputy)

Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed
(President of Somalia)
Somalia Hassan Ali Khaire
(Prime Minister of Somalia)
Somalia Abdirashid Abdullahi Mohamed
(Minister of Defense)
Somalia Abdullahi Anod
(Chief of the Army)
Somalia Omar Hashi Aden 
(Former Minister of Security)
Djibouti Osman Noor Soubagleh
(Force Commander of AMISOM)[16]
Ethiopia Abreha Tesfay
(Deputy Force Commander of AMISOM)
Burundi Cyprien Ndikuriyo
(AMISOM Chief of Staff)
Ahmed Mohamed Islam
(President of Jubaland, Chairman of the Raskamboni Movement)
Sheikh Ibrahim Sheikh Hassan
(Chairman of Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a)
Mohamed Ali Hassan
(Chief Minister of Galmudug)
Puntland Abdiweli Mohamed Ali
(President of Puntland)
Galmudug Ahmed Duale Gelle
(President of Galmudug)

Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden
(President of Southwestern Somalia)
Strength

5,000–7,000[17]

Unknown


Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant 200–300[19]

Somalia 18,000–36,000[20]
~20,000[21]
~2,000[22]
<1,000 (2010)[23]

United States ~600 (2019)[24]
Casualties and losses

8,016 killed (by 2012)[25]

5 killed[26][27][28]
Somalia
756 killed
367 wounded
(by October 2012)[29]

1,100[30]–3,000+ killed[31]

3 killed
3 wounded

66+ killed
Puntland
17+ killed
40 wounded
United States
3 killed, 2 contractors killed
5 wounded[32][33][34]

4,365 killed (in 2015)[35]


Jan 2009 – Oct 2012:
4,093[36][37]–6,310[38][39][40] killed

10,938 wounded[36][37]
1. Sheikh Omar Iman Abubakr was leader of Hizbul Islam until 26 May 2009, when he stepped down and handed over his position to Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys.[41]

On 16 October 2011, the Kenyan Army crossed the border into Somalia in Operation Linda Nchi against al-Shabaab.[42] They wanted to capture Kismayo.

In August 2014, the Somali government launched Operation Indian Ocean.

In 2017, the 14 October Mogadishu bombings killed over 500 people and injured over 300 others.[43] In December 2019, a suicide truck bombing in Mogadishu killed at least 85 people.

change

References

change
  1. Thomas Joscelyn (19 July 2018). "US amends terror designation of Shabaab to include Kenyan 'wing'". Long War Journal. Archived from the original on 23 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  2. "Exclusive: Eritrea reduces support for al Shabaab – U.N. report". Reuters. 16 July 2012.
  3. "How does 'poor' Eritrea afford to fund Al-Shabaab?". Africa Review. 8 November 2011. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  4. "ISIL's First East African Affiliate Conducts Attacks in Somalia, Kenya". DefenseNews. 29 December 2015.
  5. "Somalia: Pro-ISIL militants, Al Shabaab clash in deadly Puntland infighting". Garowe Online. 24 December 2015. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  6. "In Somalia, U.S. Escalates a Shadow War – The New York Times". The New York Times. 16 October 2016. Archived from the original on 23 October 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  7. David Brown (31 July 2017). "US airstrike kills Somalia fighter under new Trump authority". Washingtonexaminer.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  8. "Somalia: Islamist Group Supports President Sharif". Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  9. "First British troops arrive in Somalia as part of UN mission". The Guardian. 2 May 2016. Archived from the original on 2 May 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  10. Dhaysane, Mohammed (9 March 2021). "New batch of Somali troops to get training in Turkey". www.aa.com.tr.
  11. "Italy pledges to Somali gov't financial support to uproot Al shabaab". Shabelle. 3 November 2010. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  12. "UPDATE 3-Somali government declares Islamist rebellion defeated". reuters.com. Archived from the original on 17 November 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  13. "BBC News – Somalia: 'Al-Shabab' militants forced out of Jowhar". Bbc.co.uk. 9 December 2012. Archived from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  14. "AU troops announce new offensive against Shabaab". Capital News. 19 July 2015. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015.
  15. BBC News – Somalia's al-Shabab leader Aweys 'not surrendering' Archived 27 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine. bbc.co.uk (28 June 2013). Retrieved on 29 October 2013.
  16. "AMISOM's new Force Commander formally assumes office – AMISOM". AMISOM. 19 July 2016. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  17. "Estimated to number 5,000 to 7,000 fighters" Archived 2014-09-08 at the Wayback Machine, Dailt Star, 8 September 2014 ()
  18. "Somalia: Ideologial Differences Split Somalia's Al-Shabaab". allAfrica.com. 20 December 2009. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  19. Maruf, Haran. "IS Militants Seize Town in Somalia's Puntland". voanews.com. Voice of America. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  20. Kwayera, Juma (9 March 2013). "Hope alive in Somalia as UN partially lifts arms embargo". Standard Digital. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  21. "Frequently Asked Questions". AMISOM. Archived from the original on 1 February 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  22. "Etpu – United Nations Security Council Report: Somalia" (PDF). p. 12. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 April 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  23. "Shabaab absorbs southern Islamist group, splits Hizbul Islam – The Long War Journal". longwarjournal.org. February 2010. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  24. Browne, Ryan (30 September 2019). "US airstrikes help repel al-Shabaab attack on US base in Somalia". CNN.
  25. UCDP Battle-Related Deaths Dataset v.5-2013, 1989–2012; Al-Shabaab battle-related deaths, best estimate: 1,403 (in 2009); 2,076 (in 2010); 1,917 (in 2011); 2,620 (in 2012)
  26. "Gulf of Aden Security Review – May 5, 2010". Critical Threats. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  27. "Senior Yemeni al Shabab al Qaeda commander killed in Mogadishu". Armies of Liberation. 5 December 2010. Archived from the original on 19 April 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  28. "Fazul, le chef présumé d'al-Qaïda tué à Mogadiscio – Somalie/Comores – RFI". Rfi.fr. 12 June 2011. Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  29. By adding The Casualties of the page "Gulf of Aden Security Review | Critical Threats". Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  30. "Africa: Death Toll of Amisom Troops in Somalia Since 2009 Could Exceed 1,100 – Study". AllAfrica. 19 September 2015. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  31. "Up to 3,000 African peacekeepers killed in Somalia since 2007: U.N". Reuters. 9 May 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  32. "Somalia conflict: One US soldier killed, four wounded in firefight". BBC News. 9 June 2018. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  33. Cooper, Helene (9 May 2017). "Navy SEAL Who Died in Somalia Was Alongside, Not Behind, Local Forces". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  34. "Camp Simba: Three Americans killed in Kenya base". BBC News. 5 January 2020.
  35. "ACLED Version 6 (1997–2015)". Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. Archived from the original on 18 January 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  36. 36.0 36.1 allafrica More Than 1,700 Killed in Clashes in 2009 Archived 12 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine, 1 January 2010
  37. 37.0 37.1 IRIN Africa Accusations traded over rising casualties at Mogadishu market Archived 6 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine, 2 December 2010
  38. "Database – Uppsala Conflict Data Program". UCDP. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  39. c.f. UCDP datasets for SNA, ARS/UIC and Al-Shabaab tolls.
  40. UCDP non-state conflict Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine tolls
  41. "Somalia: 7 Killed in Violence, Aweys Crowned Hizbul Islam Chief". Allafrica.com. 26 May 2009. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  42. Heinlein, Peter (22 October 2011). "E. African Nations Back Kenyan Offensive in Somalia". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 23 October 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
  43. "Committee: 587 dead in Oct 14 terror attack". www.hiiraan.com. Retrieved 2020-10-10.