Conflict Management In Somalia

The Somalia conflict is rooted in issues of identity, war culture, external influences,
struggle over power and resources, and a lack of social, economic and political
infrastructure. When approaching the Somali conflict, it is important to take a holistic
approach when addressing the root causes to the many issues that Somalia faces. There
should be a strong focus on partnership, collaboration and women empowerment in
order to ensure effectiveness and sustainability. The international community has a
strong responsibility for ensuring human security and alleviating the humanitarian crisis
in Somalia. When designing a plan for conflict resolution, the foci should be on civic
engagement, good governance and communication.
Unlike many African populations, the overwhelming majority of the Somalis are part of
a single, homogeneous ethnic group. All Somalis are Muslim and share the same
language and culture. Nevertheless, one of the most terrible civil wars in Africa has
been waged in this country for more than two decades. Somalia has been without a
functioning central government since the late dictator General Mohamed Siad Barre
was ousted in 1991. This essay examines the root causes of the Somali conflict and
analyses some of the obstacles that have plagued peace efforts for the last fourteen
years. Finally, it identifies peace-building strategies that could help establish durable
peace in Somalia. We argue that competition for resources and power, repression by
the military regime and the colonial legacy are the background causes of the conflict.
Politicised clan identity, the availability of weapons and the presence of a large number
of unemployed youth have exacerbated the problem. With regard to the obstacles to
peace, we contend that Ethiopia’s hostile policy, the absence of major power interest,
lack of resources and the warlords’ lack of interest in peace are the major factors that continue to haunt the Somali peace process. Finally, we propose ambitious peace-building strategies that attempt to address the key areas of security, political governance, economic development and justice in order to build a durable peace in Somalia.