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 even 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 had hit Somalia and as a response to that the international community sent first the UNOSOM (United Nations Operation in Somalia) and later UNOSOM II. The latter one had a more extensive mandate where peace and stability were meant to be guaranteed 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 – PM (USC – Peace Movement).
It is unclear to what degree the conflict between USC/SNA and USC – PM is linked to the conflict in 1994 between Habr Gedir clan and Hawadle clan. Clear, however, is that USC/SNA, which was predominately drawing members from the Habr Gedir clan, had occupied the Hawadle dominated city of Beled Weyne (Belet Huen) in September 1994. The Hawadle clan, which was aligned with USC/SSA which was opposed to USC/SNA, formed a militia called USC – PM (United Somali Congress – Peace Movement). In order to regain control of Beled Weyne USC – PM launched an attack on USC/SNA.
The attack that ousted USC/SNA from Beled Weyne preceded the UN mission’s withdrawal from Somalia by approximately one month. There are not that many references to the actual fighting. The battle was over in just about one day and left close to 50 people dead.
The non-state conflict between USC/SNA and USC – PM is first included in UCDP data in 1995. In April of that year violent clashes flared up in Beled Weyne in the Hiraan region, resulting in over 25 battle-related deaths.
