SUMMARY
Unlike other multiethnic countries in the Sub-Saharan African context, the Somali society is characterized by a vast system of clans. Most of the population belongs to one of the five overarching clan families namely the Darod, the Isaaq, the Hawiye, the Dir, and the Rahanweyn (also known as Rewin or Digil-Mirifle). Each clan family is further divided into sub-clans and in some cases into sub-sub-clans. The origins of the clans are shared and each clan is related to the others, yet there are differences in terms of culture, tradition, and the form of life.
Up until independence in 1960, the Somali society was organized according to the clan system and each clan had a leader and a council of elders. These leaders played a major role in daily life and especially in intertribal relations. The council of elders was responsible for maintaining peace and harmony amongst the Somali people. Weakened clans were, for example, to be protected and were at times integrated into stronger clans in order to assure its survival. When inter-clan conflicts did occur, rules of conduct were agreed upon; such as caring for the injured or the treatment of prisoners.
During the post-independence era, traditional structures were replaced by modern governmental and judicial institutions hence removing the power once given to the clan leader and the council of the elders. As a result, relations between clans continuously deteriorated, which in turn also resulted in a stronger sense of affiliation to one's own clan. This process contributed to, and was further strengthened by, the outbreak of the intra-state conflict in Somalia which began at the end of 1982. Clan-related conflicts continued to fuel non-state conflicts in Somalia.
The conflict between the Ayr subclan of Habar Gidir clan (Hawiye) and the Sa'ad subclan of Habar Gidir clan (Hawiye) played out in the context of heavy fighting between several clans in the Somali capital Mogadishu. In mid-July 2001, Saudi Arabia donated food to the TNG (Transitional National Government), an attempt to form a unity government in Somalia which governed the country for a few years in the early 2000s. The food was transported to the capital by a convoy of trucks under the protection of the Ayr subclan militia. When the convoy entered the capital, members of the Sa'ad subclan opened fire and, in the ensuing fight, managed to steal one of the trucks as well as its content. The truck was taken to a checkpoint under the control of Sa'ad subclan militiamen south of the capital. As a response, soldiers of the Ayr subclan militia launched an attack to retrieve the stolen food. Both clans used heavy weaponry such as heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, and double-barreled anti-aircraft canons. Fighting continued for a total of two days and ended with a mutual agreement. An underlying reason for the conflict was the political differences between the two clans. The Ayr subclan supported the Ayr dominated TNG and the Sa'ad subclan supported the anti-governmental faction under the leadership of Osman Ali Atto and Hussein Mohamed Aideed. The interest of the Sa'ad subclan was hence to prevent the arrival of support to the TNG.
The non-state conflict between the Ayr subclan of Habar Gidir clan (Hawiye) and the Sa'ad subclan of Habar Gidir clan (Hawiye) is first included in UCDP data in 2001. In the middle of July of that year battles in Mogadishu resulted in more than 25 battle-related deaths.
