AMISOM: African Union Mission in Somalia

The Somali Civil War is an ongoing civil war taking place in Somalia, beginning in 1991, and evolving into utter chaos as time went on. Originating as a series of clashes between various tribal factions, such as Somali National Front, Somali Patriot Movement, and Al-itihad al islami, the conflict has since evolved and taken on a more a militant Islamist tone . The chaos has caused destabilization across the country and the region resulting in the Somali government losing substantial control over the country. This would be a good crisis topic because the conflict has historically involved interference from other nations, namely Ethipoia and the United States, and has become a regional problem. From 2006-2009, the National Defense Force of Ethiopia became involved in Somalia because the Somali government declared a state of emergency in June 2009 and requested the military intervention of the neighboring East African states. Also, during the conflict, there was major UN intervention in the 1990s as well as intervention from other western nations. This was made possible through the UN security council resolution 794.

In 2007, the U.S militarily interceded in the country for the first time in the conflict, conducting airstrikes using AC-130 gunships against Islamist positions in the town of Ras Kamboni. Naval forces were also deployed offshore to prevent escape by sea and the border to Kenya was closed. An African Union Mission was also deployed to Somalia with the goal of using peacekeepers to help the government regain control. These efforts have largely failed because of the massive state of chaos that would play out perfectly in a crisis simulation. When Ethiopia withdrew from Somalia, the country fell into the hands of radical Islamist rebels who routed the government in several key provinces, establishing sharia law in areas under their control. Although this conflict started in the early 1990’s, it has been nearly ongoing conflict since that time, only increasing in outside involvement and in its potential to threaten the stability of the region. to involve more outside countries and international support. According to Ginny Hill of the Middle East Programme at the Chatham Institute, further instability in the region “could expand to a lawless zone stretching from northern Kenya, though Somalia and the Gulf of Eden, to Saudi Arabia”