General information
Part of Conflict: Somalia: Government
Date of first stated goals of incompatibility: 1989-01-31
Comment on date of first stated goal of incompatibility: USC was formed in the end of the 1980s after meetings in London and Rome.
Date of first use of armed force: 1989-01-01
Comment on date of first use of armed force: No exact information available, only that USC began its insurgencies in central Somalia in 1989.
First Battle Related Death: 1990-07-28
Comment on First Battle Related Death: A Somali army commander was killed in an ambush in central Somalia the death has been attributed to United Somali Congress due to their area of activity.
Date when dyad reached 25 battle releated deaths: 1990-11-18
Comment on date when dyad reached 25 battle related deaths: According to USC, the group had carried out "continuous military operations at enemy bases Nos 49 and 77 at Buulobarde (north of Mogadishu)", in which 79 government troops and 12 USC members had been killed.
Conflict issues
Conflict Goal Issues: The United Somali Congress (USC) emerged as a rebel group in 1989, although it would later split in 1991 into the United Somali Congress/Somali Salvation Alliance (USC/SSA) and the United Somali Congress/Somali National Alliance (USC/SNA). The USC/SSA were originally an ethnically aligned nationalist rebel group whose first stated goal of incompatibility with the government was in 1989, when the group called for the ousting of the current government: “The only concept that kept the loosely united USC together was its stated goal of removing Barre from Somalia”
As the project only coded the USC/SSA for the two years of 1989 and 1990, prior to its successful toppling of the previous government and cessation of governmental power, no significant change in conflict goal issues occurred. However, in 1990 several new conflict goal issues were expressed by the group, calling for the ousting of the government and the stating its envisioned structure of the future government. USC/SSA also stated that a federalist structure would be implemented to decentralize the government and give greater autonomy to sub-national regions, democracy would be established, public services, judicial systems, military-, and police forces would be reformed, and civil rights would be enabled. The USC/SSA also reaffirmed its commitment to oust the current government.
The main conflict goal issue raised by the USC/SSA was the ousting of the current government. It was the motive behind the group’s creation, and the most emphasized and frequently mentioned conflict goal issue for the group’s brief existence.
Conflict Dynamics Issues: Whilst USC/SSA stated no conflict issues in its first year of existence, the group stated several issues in 1990. In the USC Political Programme the group stated five conflict dynamics issues, calling upon the international community to withdraw financial and military support to the Somali government, and pressure the government who “kill and torture the very people that are meant to be the beneficiaries of this assistance [military and economic assistance from Arab States]”. The group also called for the release of political prisoners. As no issues were stated continuously, no main conflict goal issue was attributed to USC/SSA.
Conflict Resolution Issues: USC/SSA was not interpreted as stating any conflict resolution issues during its first year of existence. During the second, and last, year of the group’s existence, the project coded three issues stemming from the USC/SSA Political Programme, where the group called for prosecutions of individuals who illegally seized property and expressed intent to establish future national dialogue following its ousting of the current government. Furthermore, the USC/SSA expressed opposition to negotiations proposed by the government. As no issue was stated continuously, no main conflict resolution issue was attributed to USC/SSA.
Type of conflict issues: Conflict Goal Issues: Autonomy, Basic needs, Bureaucratic setup, Civil rights, Constitutional issues, CPS: Democracy, CPS: Other/undefined system, Decentralization, Disband para-military forces, Economic reforms, Executive power-sharing: interim, Federalism, Foreign policy reform, Law and order, Oust full executive, Oust head of the executive, Protection of natural resources/the environment, Public services, Reform judicial system, Restructure military forces, Restructure police forces
Conflict Dynamics Issues: Atrocities and abuses, DFI: Withdrawal of financial support, DFI: Withdrawal of military support, IFI: Use of foreign influence, Release of prisoners
Conflict Resolution Issues: Accountability/prosecution/investigation, Compensation/restoration, National dialogue, Opposition to negotiations
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
1989
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Somalia): n/a
Side B (USC/SSA): n/a
1990
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 1658 |
| Best | 1456 |
| Low | 1456 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Somalia): n/a
Side B (USC/SSA): n/a
1991
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 3000 |
| Best | 3000 |
| Low | 3000 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Somalia): n/a
Side B (USC/SSA): 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
Comment on Active: This dyad was only active until 26 January, when the former government was overthrown by the USC.
Negotiations: NO
Victory: YES
Victorious side: B
Comment on Victory: The former government was overthrown in January by the USC that consequently seized power. However, the new government was soon to be challenged as well and the conflict continued.
Comment on Victorious Side: USC (United Somali Congress)
Comment on Total Battle Related Deaths: USC (United Somali Congress)
Terminated: YES
Type of termination: Victory
Date of termination: 1991-01-26
Comment on Termination: On 26 January the USC managed to overthrow the Siad barre-government and seize power.
