Somali Civil War (2009–present) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Somali Civil War (2009–present)
Part of the Somali Civil War and the war on terror
Military situation in Somalia as of March 2023       Under control of the Somali government and allies       Under control of al-Shabaab       Under control of the Islamic State       Under control of the Khatumo State       Under control of the self-declared state of Somaliland       Disputed territory between the government of Somaliland and the Puntland State of Somalia
Date 31 January 2009 – present (16 years, 5 months, 1 week and 6 days) Location Somalia Status Ongoing Merger and split between/of Hizbul Islam and al-Shabaab forces. Kenyan military intervention in October 2011 Al-Shabaab becomes an official al-Qaeda affiliate in February 2012 Federal Government formed in August 2012 Formation of the Islamic State in Somalia in October 2015 The Somali Government launched a major offensive in August 2022 taking at least 1/3 of Al Shabbab's territory
Belligerents
Al-Qaeda Al-Shabaab Hizbul Islam (until 2010; 2012–2013) Allegedly supported by:  Eritrea  Iran  Islamic State (since 2015) Wilayat al Somal	Somalia Somali Armed Forces Regional forces:  Galmudug Galmudug Security Force ASWJ (until 2018) Himan and Heeb (until 2015)  Jubaland Raskamboni Movement  Puntland Puntland Security Force Southwestern Somalia ATMIS (since 2022)  Burundi  Djibouti  Ethiopia  Kenya  Uganda AMISOM (until 2022)  Burundi  Djibouti (from 2011)  Ethiopia (from 2014)  Ghana  Kenya (from 2011, officially from 2012)  Nigeria (from 2010)  Sierra Leone (from 2013)  Uganda (until 2017)  United States Supported by:  United Kingdom  Turkey  France  Italy
Commanders and leaders
Ahmad Umar (Emir of al-Shabaab) Mahad Karate Fuad Qalaf Sheikh Ali Dheere Abdukadir Mohamed Abdukadir Mohamed Mire Jehad Mostafa Hassan Afgooye Abu Musa Mombasa Casualties: Ahmed Godane  † (Former Emir of al-Shabaab) Mukhtar Robow  Mohamed Atom  Hassan Abdullah Hersi # Ibrahim Haji Jama Mee'aad  † Hassan Aweys  Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki  † Fadil Harun  † Saleh Ali Nabhan  † Abdulaziz Muhammad Saleh bin Otash  † Abdul Qadir Mumin (leader of ISS) Casualties: Mahad Maalin  † Abdihakim Mohamed Ibrahim ("Dhoqob")  †	Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (President of Somalia) Mohamed Hussein Roble Hassan Mohomed Amardanbe Odowaa Yusuf Rageh Said Abdullahi Dani Ahmed Abdi Karie Diomede Ndegeya Ahmed Mohamed Islam Mohamed Ali Hassan Abdiaziz Laftagareen Casualties: Omar Hashi Aden  † Abbas Abdullahi Sheikh Siraji  † Ali Said  † Juvenal Niyoyunguruza  † Mohamed Jimale Goobale  †
Strength
7,000–12,000 (2022) 1,200 foreign fighters (2011) 200–300	15,000 (2020) 18,000 (2022) 2,000 (2013) 1,000 (2010) ~600 (2019)
Casualties and losses
26,444 killed	23,377 killed 1,884 killed 3 killed, 2 contractors killed 5 wounded
4,365 killed (in 2015) Jan 2009 – Oct 2012: 4,093–6,310 killed 10,938 wounded Total killed: 54,687+ (as of Oct 2022, per ACLED)

The Somali Civil War is a conflict that has been happening in Somalia since 2009. It is mainly a fight between the al-Shabaab group and the Somali government. This war mostly takes place in southern and central Somalia, and also in parts of northeastern Kenya.

The conflict started in February 2009. The Federal Government of Somalia was supported by African Union peacekeeping troops. At first, al-Shabaab gained a lot of ground. They even took over Baidoa, which was a temporary capital for the government. Al-Shabaab continued fighting the government and the African Union forces throughout 2010. They became very strong in many areas. People in these areas sometimes supported al-Shabaab because they brought a system of law and order.

Key Events in the Conflict

Kenya's Involvement and Al-Shabaab's Challenges

In October 2011, Kenya sent its military into southern Somalia. This was called Operation Linda Nchi. The Kenyan government was worried about many refugees coming into Kenya. They also wanted to stop the conflict from spreading across their border.

The Kenyan forces joined the Somali government and African Union troops. This put a lot of pressure on al-Shabaab. They were pushed out of Kismayo, an important port city. Somalia also faced a very bad famine in 2011, which made things even harder for al-Shabaab.

Al-Shabaab's Ongoing Influence

Even with these challenges, al-Shabaab still controls large areas in southern Somalia. They are still powerful in many rural places. Now, they often use surprise attacks and terror tactics instead of trying to take over more land. Other groups, like the Islamic State in Somalia (ISS) and Hizbul Islam, have also attacked both sides. Hizbul Islam stopped fighting the government in 2013. However, ISS is still active in northern Somalia as of 2022.

International Support for Somalia

Many countries and organizations have helped Somalia. They want to bring peace and stability to the country.

African Union's Role

The African Union has sent more than 16,000 soldiers to Somalia. This mission is now called the ATMIS (before 2022, it was AMISOM). Their job is to support the Somali government. They also help train Somali soldiers and create a safe environment. This safe environment helps get humanitarian aid to people who need it.

United States and Other Countries' Aid

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) helps Somalia with about $50 million each year. This money is not for military help. Instead, it supports programs like creating jobs for people recovering from the conflict.

The United States has also given a lot of money to support the African Union mission. In 2013, the U.S. officially started working with Somalia's central government again after 20 years. This decision was made because Somalia had made good progress. This helped Somalia get more money for rebuilding from American groups and international organizations like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

About 50 U.S. special forces troops also work in Somalia. They help and advise Kenyan, Somali, and Ugandan forces fighting al-Shabaab. The United Kingdom also has special forces helping to fight against terrorist groups in Somalia.

In December 2020, President Donald Trump ordered most U.S. troops to leave Somalia. But in May 2022, President Joe Biden changed this decision. He sent up to 450 ground troops back to Somalia.

Images for kids

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  AMISOM reinforcement convoy on the Baidoa-Mogadishu road in April 2014

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  U.S. Army East African Response Force (EARF) soldiers, part of Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, in Somalia on 21 January 2021

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  Area of Ethiopian operations in Somalia since their official withdrawal in January 2009.

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  Ethiopian troops in Somalia, 2014

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  Kenyan soldiers and fighters of the Ras Kamboni Brigades, a Somali government-allied militia, 2012

See also

In Spanish: Segunda guerra civil somalí para niños