This is the newer part of the Somali Civil War which began in 2009. It is mainly between the al-Shabaab jihadist group and the Somali government. It is mainly happening in southern and central Somalia and parts of north eastern Kenya. It began in early February 2009 with the conflict between the forces of the Federal Government of Somalia, supported by African Union peacekeeping troops.
Quick Facts Date, Location ...
Somali Civil War (2009–present) |
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Part of the Somali Civil War and the war on terror |
Military situation in Somalia as of November 2021
Under control of the Somali government and allies
Under control of the Islamic State
Under control of the self-declared state of Somaliland
(For a more detailed map of the current military situation, see here) |
Date | 31 January 2009 – present (15 years, 3 months and 5 days) |
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Location | |
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Status |
Ongoing
- Transitional Federal Government takes control over Mogadishu,[1] Merca, Baidoa, Hudur, and Jowhar.[2]
- Merger and split between/of Hizbul Islam and al-Shabaab forces.
- Power struggle within Al-Shabaab between pro-Al-Qaeda (international agenda) and moderate members (domestic agenda); moderate faction defeated
- Federal Government formed in August 2012
- Al-Shabaab loses control of most of South and Central Somalia
- Operation Linda Nchi launched
- Operation Indian Ocean launched
- Operation Juba Corridor launched[3]
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Belligerents |
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Al-Qaeda
Hizbul Islam (until 2010; 2012–2014)
Allegedly supported by: Eritrea[5][6]
ISIL (from 2015)[7][8]
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Somalia
United States[9][10]
- Template:Country data Galmudug
- Galmudug Security Force
- ASWJ (until 2018)[11]
- Himan and Heeb (until 2015)
- Template:Country data Jubaland
- Raskamboni Movement
- Puntland
- Southwestern Somalia
Supported by:
United Kingdom[12] Turkey[13]
Non-combat support: European Union[14] |
Commanders and leaders |
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Ahmad Umar
(Emir of al-Shabaab)
Fuad Qalaf (former)
Abu Mansur
Moktar Ali Zubeyr †
Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki
Mohamed Said Atom
Ibrahim Haji Jama Mee'aad [15]
Hassan Dahir Aweys
Omar Iman (former)
Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki †
Abu Musa Mombasa (former)
Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan †
Fazul Abdullah Mohammed †
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Mumin (leader of ISS)
Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (ISIL caliph from 2022)
Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi † (ISIL caliph 2019-2022)
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi † (ISIL caliph until 2019)
Mahad Maalin † (ISS deputy)
Abdihakim Mohamed Ibrahim ("Dhoqob") † (ISS deputy)
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Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (President of Somalia)
Hassan Ali Khaire (Prime Minister of Somalia)
Abdirashid Abdullahi Mohamed (Minister of Defense)
Abdullahi Anod (Chief of the Army)
Omar Hashi Aden † (Former Minister of Security)
Osman Noor Soubagleh (Force Commander of AMISOM)[16]
Abreha Tesfay (Deputy Force Commander of AMISOM)
Cyprien Ndikuriyo (AMISOM Chief of Staff)
Ahmed Mohamed Islam (President of Jubaland, Chairman of the Raskamboni Movement)
Sheikh Ibrahim Sheikh Hassan (Chairman of Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a)
Mohamed Ali Hassan (Chief Minister of Galmudug)
Abdiweli Mohamed Ali (President of Puntland)
Template:Country data Galmudug Ahmed Duale Gelle (President of Galmudug)
Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden (President of Southwestern Somalia) |
Strength |
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5,000–7,000[17]
Unknown
200–300[19] |
18,000–36,000[20]
~20,000[21]
~2,000[22]
<1,000 (2010)[23]
~600 (2019)[24] |
Casualties and losses |
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8,016 killed (by 2012)[25]
5 killed[26][27][28] |
756 killed 367 wounded (by October 2012)[29]
1,100[30]–3,000+ killed[31]
3 killed 3 wounded
66+ killed
17+ killed 40 wounded
3 killed, 2 contractors killed 5 wounded[32][33][34] |
4,365 killed (in 2015)[35]
Jan 2009 – Oct 2012:
4,093[36][37]–6,310[38][39][40] killed
10,938 wounded[36][37] |
1. Sheikh Omar Iman Abubakr was leader of Hizbul Islam until 26 May 2009, when he stepped down and handed over his position to Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys.[41] |
Close
On 16 October 2011, the Kenyan Army crossed the border into Somalia in Operation Linda Nchi against al-Shabaab.[42] They wanted to to capture Kismayo.
In August 2014, the Somali government launched Operation Indian Ocean.
In 2017, the 14 October Mogadishu bombings killed over 500 people and injured over 300 others.[43] In December 2019, a suicide truck bombing in Mogadishu killed at least 85 people.