SUMMARY
SNF (Somali National Front) was a group of fighters loyal to former Somali president Siyad Barre. The group was formed in 1991 after the fall of the Barre regime and was made up mostly of people from the Marehan clan (Darod). Barre, who had fled with his son-in-law, General Hersi Morgan, to the Gedo region in south-western Somalia, had far from given up the idea of once again taking control of Somalia. General Morgan, became a leading person in SPM (Somali Patriotic Movement), an armed Darod militia mainly consisting of members of the Ogaden clan, and he made sure to keep an alliance with SNF. In Somalia, after the ousting of Barre, there had formed two major camps fighting for control of the country. One was supporting Ali Mahdi (Harti/Abgal/Hawiye), leader of USC/SSA (United Somali Congress/Somali Salvation Army), who had declared himself president, and the other one supporting Mohammed Farah “Aideed”, who headed the USC/SNA (United Somali Congress/Somali National Alliance). Most of the militias in south and central Somalia were, in the early and mid-1990s in some way affiliated with either of these sides. In line with the coalition structures at the time, SNF joined the anti-Aideed camp of the USC/SSA and clashed with USC/SNA (United Somali Congress/Somali National Alliance) on several occasions.
With General Morgan’s strong influence it is difficult to distinguish SNF from SPM during the first years after the fall of Siad Barre. Both of the groups were present in the Kismayo area but it was clear that Morgan, and thus not SNF, was in charge of the town. During this time, basically 1993 and onwards, the alliance between SNF and SPM broke down, even though there was still a Marehan presence in Kismayo. Once SNF left the Kismayo area it started to become more apparent that the leadership had moved over to General Omar Haji Mohamed, who was also SNFs representative at the Addis Ababa conference in March 1993.
While Kismayo was an important city for the Marehan, and thus for SNF, the region where they were the most dominant was the Gedo region. Following the downfall of Siyad Barre, many members of the Mogadishu Marehan community had moved to Gedo, where they were often referred to as “galti”, meaning newcomers of guests. In 1998 the group cooperated with AIAI (Al-Ittihad al-Islamiya), an Islamic fundamentalist group present in the same area and there dominantly consisting of members from the Marehan. Together the groups tried to ensure the security and even signed a peace agreement which instated Sharia laws. SNF had by this time distanced itself from Siad Barre, who had passed away in exile in 1996. The group later split into two factions, one pro- and one anti-Ethiopian.
As with all allegiances in Somalia it is difficult to distinguish entirely between clans and political movements. However, there are claims that the Marehan fighters that were part of SNF were amongst those that, together with Habr Gedir forces, formed the ASF (Allied Somali Forces), which later became known as JVA (Juba Valley Alliance). This alliance fought against the former SNF member General Morgan in order to capture Kismayo, and preferably gain control of the entire Juba valley.
SNF has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.
