The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation

mali elite, which competed with the traditional leadership for power.
Mistrust, jealousy, and conflicts between clans and social classes were
engendered by the colonial system, and remain deeply rooted to this
day. “The Somali local leaders, who became the leaders of the nation,
merely took over from their colonial rulers; they did not change the
practices of the former colonial powers.” (Report, p. 128).
Since its independence, Somalia has been tied to the interests of its former
colonial powers, and of the two Cold War superpowers. The military
regime was supported both by the USSR and by the USA, especially with
military aid, which helped feed the war with Ethiopia in the Ogaden region
during the 1970s. However, it then lost the support of Cuba and the USSR.
“The conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia led to death, destruction, the
displacement of ethnic Somalis from Ethiopia, and to lasting enmity be -
tween the two countries.” (Report p. 131). After this war, a militant opposition
arose in Somalia, but it was crushed by the military regime.
Unfortunately, the militarized violence at the beginning of the 1990s was
perceived by the international community only as an internal struggle be -
tween local clans. It was not until the international aid organizations withdrew
from the country as a result of the violence, and TV images of dying
Somali children were broadcasted throughout the western world, that the
UN Security Council addressed the issue of Somalia and passed a number
of resolutions. In 1992, a military peace mission was carried out in Somalia
under the leadership of the US, to secure the distribution of humanitarian
aid. At the same time, an attempt was made to move toward peace be -
tween the parties to the violent conflict, and to achieve their disarmament.
This caused several of the warlords to turn their weapons against the international
troops and the US military. In 1994, the US withdrew from Somalia,
the troops of other countries followed suit, and Somalia was left to
its own devices once again. “From 1994 to 2006, Somalia remained a
stateless nation run by violent warlords and their militias. From the early
1990s until 2008, the international community sponsored sixteen
peace/reconciliation conferences. All of these international efforts, including
the peace processes, failed to solve the political problems of Somalia.
They failed because the processes were not Somali-owned.”
(Report, p. 134).
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