General information
Part of Conflict: Somalia: Government
Date of first stated goals of incompatibility: 1989-03-31
Comment on date of first stated goal of incompatibility: The SPM emerged in 1989 after a group of Ogaden officers deserted the army and took up arms against Siad Barre, to overthrow the regime and establish a democratic form of government.
Date of first use of armed force: 1989-04-01
Comment on date of first use of armed force: Reports emerged that clashes between loyalist forces and the "army mutineers" claimed several lives, but no details were available.
First Battle Related Death: 1989-03-15
Comment on First Battle Related Death: Reports emerged that clashes between loyalist forces and the "army mutineers" claimed several lives, but no details were available.
Date when dyad reached 25 battle releated deaths: 1989-07-31
Comment on date when dyad reached 25 battle related deaths: Heavy fighting was reported as the SPM rebels seized the border town of Doble. Refugees reported that 27 people had died in the attack.
Conflict issues
Conflict Goal Issues: The Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM) was an Ogadeni Somali-nationalist rebel group which emerged in 1989 with the intent to overthrow the government of Somalia to establish a democratic government. The group was largely made up of Ogadeni military officers, an ethnic sub-clan of the Darod clan who deserted from the army and took up arms against President Siad Barre. During the year of SPM’s emergence, they released several statements pertaining to conflict goal issues. The group called for the ousting of Siad Barre and his government, and for them to be replaced with a democratic government.
As the conflict progressed, SPM reaffirmed its stance to oust the government and establish a democracy, although several other issues were also added. Although only in singular statements, the group expressed intentions of ensuring basic needs for the citizens of Somalia, tackling corruption in the government, promoting economic development, establishing security, returning to a previous version of the constitution, and establishing an interim government with executive power-sharing when the government had been ousted.
The main conflict goal issues were the continuously emphasized aims to oust the government and replace Somalia’s political structure with a democratic electoral system. These issues were frequently mentioned, received heavy emphasis, and became structural pillars for SPM’s aims.
Conflict Dynamics Issues: Whilst no conflict dynamics issues were interpreted during SPM’s first year of existence, the group stated several issues as the conflict progressed. Throughout the conflict, several conflict dynamics issues were coded from SPM statements. Allegations of targeting of civilians of Darod ethnicity were made, where SPM accused government forces of intentionally murdering civilians on ethnic grounds. The group also called upon the international community to not send planned monitoring missions to Somalia as this would result in interference in Somalia’s international affairs. SPM also called upon Kenya to cease military and political support and influence over Somalia, as they accused the Kenyan government of arming and supporting Somali government forces. Later in the conflict, the group also called upon the international community to support the Somali people through the establishment of international monitoring and foreign forces through the establishment of a foreign police force to ensure stability within the region. The group also called for international humanitarian organizations to supply humanitarian aid within the country. As no conflict dynamics issues were particularly heavily emphasized, no main conflict dynamics issue was attributed to SPM.
Conflict Resolution Issues: Whilst no conflict resolution issues were interpreted during SPM’s first year of existence, the group stated a few issues as the conflict progressed. In 1990, the group pronounced its opposition to negotiations with the government, although this stance changed in the subsequent years of conflict where the group began calling for negotiations, particularly emphasizing that all factions and groups should be represented in negotiations. The SPM also called for the implementation of peace agreements and for investigations into the government’s human rights abuses to be conducted.
The main conflict resolution issue of SPM was the issue of negotiations, as its frequent mentioning and the group’s shifting positioning indicates its centrality to the group.
Type of conflict issues: Conflict Goal Issues: Basic needs, Constitutional issues, Corruption, CPS: Democracy, CPS: Other/undefined system, Economic reforms, Executive power-sharing: interim, Geographical status quo, Law and order, Oust full executive, Oust head of the executive, Restructure police forces
Conflict Dynamics Issues: Collective targeting: ethnic, DFI: Removal of foreign influence, DFI: Withdrawal of international monitoring, DFI: Withdrawal of military support, IFI: Humanitarian aid, IFI: International monitoring, IFI: Military intervention/foreign forces, IFI: Use of foreign influence
Conflict Resolution Issues: Accountability/prosecution/investigation, Structure of negotiations, Call for negotiations, Opposition to negotiations, Peace agreement implementation
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
1989
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 250 |
| Best | 29 |
| Low | 29 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Somalia): n/a
Side B (SPM): n/a
1990
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 75 |
| Best | 25 |
| Low | 22 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Somalia): n/a
Side B (SPM): n/a
1991
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 705 |
| Best | 705 |
| Low | 705 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Somalia): n/a
Side B (SPM): n/a
Dyad Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
1989 Dyad Archive
Negotiations: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
1990 Dyad Archive
Negotiations: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
1991 Dyad Archive
Negotiations: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: YES
Type of termination: No or Low Activity
Date of termination: 1991-12-31
