SUMMARY
Following the defeat of former Somali President Siad Barre in 1991, the country had been divided between the rebel groups that took part in the rebellion against him. SNM (Somali National Movement) had taken control over the northern region forming Somaliland and declared cessation from the Somali state in May 1991. In the north-east SSDF (Somali Salvation Democratic Front) took control over the territory and were, after some clashes with AIAI (al-Ittihad al-Islamiya), able to establish a fairly sound control of the region, which in 1998 was declared as an autonomous region called Puntland.
In south and central Somalia there were more groups competing for control. Ali Mahdi of the USC (United Somali Congress) and Mohammed Farah Aideed, of the same group, had parted ways after Ali Mahdi declared himself Somalia’s president. The two formed their own militias, Mahdi USC/SSA (United Somali Congress/Somali Salvation Army) and Aideed USC/SNA (United Somali Congress/Somali National Alliance). The two groups started competing over the government and alliances started to form where other groups sided with one or the other. Groups that had previously fought against the Barre regime broke apart along the USC division, for example, SDM (Somali Democratic Movement) which disappeared shortly after its division and SPM (Somali Patriotic Movement) which was divided in one pro-Mahdi side and one pro-Aideed (SPM and SPM/SNA respectively).
By 1992, a severe famine hit Somalia and, as a response, the international community first sent the UNOSOM (United Nations Operation in Somalia) and later the UNOSOM II. The latter one had a more extensive mandate guaranteeing peace, stability as well as the delivery of aid. As a result, the situation in Somalia became a little calmer, but after a number of attacks on UN staff the UNOSOM II mission declared it would leave Somalia by May 1995. It was in this general context that a conflict erupted between USC/SNA and USC/SNA – OA (United Somali Congress/Somali National Alliance – Omar Atto faction).
The conflict between USC/SNA (United Somali Congress/Somali National Alliance) and USC/SNA – OA (United Somali Congress/Somali National Alliance – Osman Atto faction) erupted after Osman Atto, financier of USC/SNA, attempted an internal coup which aimed to replace USC/SNA leader Mohammed Farah Aideed. The failed coup was followed by Atto loyalists joining him in the creation of a faction of their own. USC/SNA – OA was welcomed by USC/SNA rival USC/SSA and the two groups grew closer in their cooperation. When Aideed convened a number of people loyal to him and declared himself president of Somalia, with his closest followers being named ministers in the government, the response from USC/SNA – OA was to side with USC/SSA, which at the moment also claimed the presidency, and clashes erupted in Mogadishu.
Both groups were heavily armed and their fighters had experience from the fighting that had been going on for years in Somalia. As a result of the heavy armament, the fighting caused havoc in Mogadishu, as well as in other places once the fighting spread outside the capital. Both groups relied heavily on so-called ‘technicals’, battle-wagons constructed by placing heavy machine guns on the back of pickup trucks.
The non-state conflict between USC/SNA and USC/SNA – OA is first included in UCDP data in 1995. In February of that year clashes flared up in Mogadishu and by September they had resulted in over 25 battle-related deaths.
