"All
ambitions are lawful except those which climb upward on the miseries and
credulities of mankind."
--- Joseph Conrad, A Personal Record
Family is the single most important thing in Somali culture. There are two elements that make up the ideology of kinship: blood ties and heer (conduct). The Somali people are divided into three major clan families, the Saab, Irir, and the Darod. Each of these clans break down into subfamilies which further break down into lineage segments.
The following are a list of Somali factions to facilitate the understanding of different major Somali movements that may or may not have participated in the civil war and who led them at the time. The tribes they belonged to are provided.
Somali African Muki Organization
(SAMO)
Represents minority populations
of Bantu origin in the southern riverine regions, the most vulnerable victims
of the war and famine. One faction was allied with the Somali Salvation
Alliance and another was allied with the Somali National Alliance.
Somali Democratic Alliance (SDA)
A Gadabursi (Dir clan) organization
from the northern Somaliland region around Boroma. Originally formed in
1989, it opposed the SNM's policy of independence and participated in the
Addis Ababa talks. Allied with SSA.
Somali Democratic Movement (SDM)
The SDM, an organization based
among the Rahanwein people (the agriculturists of SOmalia who suffered
some of the worst consequences of the famine), active around the town of
Baidoa, split and reformed a number of times in 1992-94. At different times
various factions have been associated with both the SSA and the SNA.
Somali National Democratic Union
(SNDU)
A Darod faction allied with the
SSA.
Somali National Front (SNF)
Led by General Omar Haji Mohamed
Siad Hersi "Morgan," the SNF was composed of Marehan (part of the Darod
and Siad Barre's clan) and allied with the SSA.
Somali National Movement (SNM)
An Isaaq based movement that let
the opposition to Siad Barre in the late 1980s. The SNM was formed in 1981
and was supported by Ethiopia during much of the 1980s. In 1988, the SNM
occupied much of northern Somalia and suffered brutal attacks from Siad
Barre. The SNM won control over the north (former British Somaliland) in
1991 and declared the territory the independent (but as yet unrecognized)
Republic of Somaliland.
Somali National Union (SNU)
This Reer Hamar group is supported
by many coastal, urban Somalis. Historically, these urbanized groups have
had weak clan links to the rest of Somalia but strong trading links to
the Indian Ocean. As a relatively wealthy minority, they suffered greatly
during the civil war. Different factions of the SNU have been allied
with the SSA and SNA.
United Somali Congress (USC)
This group, with support among
the Hawiye, seized control of Mogadishu in 1991. The USC split into two
sub-clan-based factions. The faction, allied with the SNA is led by General
Mohammed Farrah Aideed and many of the Habir Gedir subclass. It maintained
control over southern Mogadishu and some regions in central Somalia. The
faction allied with the SSA is led by interim president Ali Mahdi Mohamed
and many of the Abgal subclass, maintaining control of northern Mogadishu.