SUMMARY

SPM/SNA (Somali Patriotic Movement/Somali National Alliance) was a Somali rebel group that was formed in early 1992 when Colonel Omar Jess, formerly in charge of SPM’s (Somali Patriotic Movement) military issues, broke away from SPM. The breakaway followed an attempt by the two other persons in the SPM leadership, General Gabiyo and General Morgan, to side-line Omar Jess.

The members of SPM/SNA came mainly from the Darod clan and in particular the Ogaden sub-clan of Darod. In similarity with SPM, SPM/SNA was mostly active in the southern parts of Somalia. The southern port city of Kismayo was the centre of attention for both groups and SPM/SNA was in control of the city for some time in early 1993.

After the break with SPM, SPM/SNA started to cooperate in a loosely formed alliance with another rebel group, namely USC/SNA (United Somali Congress/Somali National Alliance) under the leadership of Mohammed Farah ‘Aideed’.

With the arrival of the US led force, UNITAF (United Task Force), in Somali in late 1992 and early 1993, the power structures in certain areas became more cemented. SPM/SNA, which at that point did control Kismayo, agreed to start to disarm, which later led to the group losing control of the city to their former comrades in SPM. Following the failure in Kismayo they attempted for some time to regain strength but in 1994 a gathering of Absame clan elders, Absame being a sub-clan of Darod and Ogaden being a sub-clan of Absame, decided on an alternative political route for the clan. This decision effectively removed much of the Ogaden clan basis of support for SPM/SNA and the rebel group practically ceased to exist by mid-1994.

SPM/SNA has been involved in the non-state and one-sided categories of UCDP organised violence.