Clan Cleansing in Somalia: The Ruinous Legacy of 1991

Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights

by Lidwien Kapteijns

Clan Cleansing in Somalia The Ruinous Legacy of 1991 Lidwien Kapteijns "Kapteijn's use of Somali-language sources--contemporary poetry, oral interviews, news reports, and radio recordings--is very effective in providing a ground-level view of the violence both at the time of the 'cleansing' and in the survivors' subsequent reflections upon it. This is a most welcome contribution to a literature on the civil war, which has until now been dominated by the analyses of foreign experts and Somali diaspora scholars."--Lee Cassanelli, University of Pennsylvania In 1991, certain political and military leaders in Somalia, wishing to gain exclusive control over the state, mobilized their followers to use terror--wounding, raping, and killing--to expel a vast number of Somalis from the capital city of Mogadishu and south-central and southern Somalia. Manipulating clan sentiment, they succeeded in turning ordinary civilians against neighbors, friends, and coworkers. Although this episode of organized communal violence is common knowledge among Somalis, its real nature has not been publicly acknowledged and has been ignored, concealed, or misrepresented in scholarly works and political memoirs--until now. Marshaling a vast amount of source material, including Somali poetry and survivor accounts, "Clan Cleansing in Somalia" analyzes this campaign of clan cleansing against the historical background of a violent and divisive military dictatorship, in the contemporary context of regime collapse, and in relationship to the rampant militia warfare that followed in its wake. "Clan Cleansing in Somalia" also reflects on the relationship between history, truth, and postconflict reconstruction in Somalia. Documenting the organization and intent behind the campaign of clan cleansing, Lidwien Kapteijns traces the emergence of the hate narratives and code words that came to serve as rationales and triggers for the violence. However, it was not clans that killed, she insists, but people who killed in the name of clan. Kapteijns argues that the mutual forgiveness for which politicians often so lightly call is not a feasible proposition as long as the violent acts for which Somalis should forgive each other remain suppressed and undiscussed. "Clan Cleansing in Somalia" establishes that public acknowledgment of the ruinous turn to communal violence is indispensable to social and moral repair, and can provide a gateway for the critical memory work required from Somalis on all sides of this multifaceted conflict. Lidwien Kapteijns is Professor of History at Wellesley College. Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights 2012 336 pages 6 x 9 1 map ISBN 978-0-8122-4467-0 Cloth $69.95s 45.50 ISBN 978-0-8122-0758-3 Ebook $69.95s 45.50 World Rights History, Political Science Short copy: "Clan Cleansing in Somalia" deals with the transformative violence that helped cause the collapse of the Somali state in 1991. Kapteijns argues that public acknowledgment of the clan cleansing of this period is indispensable to social and moral repair, and to the critical memory work required from Somalis on all sides of this conflict.

Genres: Africa, Somalia, History, Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2012

Reviews

[Kadar Adan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The popular narrative of Somalia is that the country's government disintegrated and it entered a long period of anarchic violence and disorder. This is in large part true. However what's often unacknowledged about Somalia—either due to ignorance or deliberate omission—is the fact that the country was the scene of one of the most horrific ethnic cleansing campaigns in recent African history, one in which tens of thousands of people from the Darood clan where slaughtered in a systemically organized campaign of communal violence by the rebel group USC (United Somali Congress). In her book Professor Lidwien Kapteijns uncovers this dark part of Somalia's history, marshaling an impressive amount of primary sources and analyzing the motivations behind this horrific violence. Throughout book I was impressed with her excellent grasp of the Somali language (she's fluent), and her ability to explain the complexity of the Somali clan system and its impact on Somali politics. The book is very accessible and a must read for anyone trying to understand why Somalia has been unable to recover for the past two decades. Much of it has to do with the unacknowledged history of this horrific crime, a crime for which nobody has yet been held accountable.

[Sharahbil Ibn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not just a book but a study and a very well-sourced one at that. I only read excerpts before. This is my first time reading the book. The amount detailed narrations of the heinous atrocities committed by the USC militia and affiliated clans is heartbreaking. The civil war in Somalia is indeed clan cleansing of its purest form. RIP to the innocent lives that perished.

[Chris Buckham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Clan Cleansing in Somalia: The Ruinous Legacy of 1991
Author: Lidwien Kapteijns
ISBN: 978-0-812-22319-4
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania
Year: 2013
Softcover
Pages: 308
Photos/Maps: 0/1

The ongoing trials and tribulations of the Horn of Africa are well known; however, the history and cause of the degree of dislocation and ongoing state collapse is not nearly as well understood. Kapteijns has encapsulated in his four chapter analysis of the history, causes and ongoing legacy up to 1991 (the height of the genocide) a succinct and detailed synopsis of the Somalian tragedy.

His first chapter undertakes a study of the reaction of the Somali people to their environment through the medium of poetry. While interesting, it strikes the reader as odd and somewhat out of step with the rest of the book. For those who would see the resilient capacity of the human spirit to overcome incredible adversity, it is an interesting view.

The book really engages with the second chapter which discusses the reign of President Barre and the actions that he took during the 21 years that he ‘governed’, that both secured his hold on power while concurrently undermining it and ultimately causing his downfall. The watchwords of his administration were corruption and division. He undertook a deliberate policy of dividing the clans in order to deflect attention away from his own dishonesty. By doing so he created the conditions of deep hatred and distrust of not only his government, his clan bt also the other numerous clans within Somalia. The author undertakes a noteworthy analysis of this period that sets a clear tone for the follow-on chapters that discuss the actual descent into societal chaos. The clear take away from the historical review is the setting of the preconditions for collapse and the incredible self-centred hubris of the clan leadership.

Chapter three is where the author discusses the collapse of the government, the fighting in Mogadishu and the absolute loss of any veneer of civilized behavior amongst the combatants. The outright dismissal of any notion of non-combatant and the use of terror aimed at clan cleansing (through the use of systemic rape, murder, torture, theft and starvation) is appalling. Kapteijns does not use sensationalism to pass on his points; the experiences through vignettes and fact as gathered by international agencies are presented in a stark, unvarnished manner that reinforces the horror. The capacity for base level violence and behavior amongst people and the self serving attitude from those that wish not the best for the people of Somalia but for themselves, is revealed in a manner that is all the more poignant for its austerity.

Chapter four pursues a deeper analysis of the reasons for the utter breakdown of society and the deliberate targeting of non-combatants by the militias. It is a revealing study into the nature of human reaction when law and order is stripped away and the utter helplessness of the elderly, young and destitute is taken complete advantage of for personal gain. What is additionally disturbing is the revelation that regional powers took advantage of Somalia’s refugees as well.

As a means of understanding the background and psychology of the conflict between the government and the militias followed by intra-militia fighting, this book is a critical read. While it focuses solely upon the events leading up to the utter slaughter of 1991, it presents a excellent synopsis of the conditions which have prevented a resolution of the Somali conflict to the present day. Kapteijns has done a superb job at explaining this tragedy in terms that are accessible to a wide audience. His bibliography is extensive and his research thorough. This is disturbing read but critical to the student of African history.

www.themilitaryreviewer.blogspot.com

[Cobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title was eye catching, usually you hear about ethnic cleansing’s but this was about a clan cleansing. Was very detailed despite being so short and had excerpts from a lot of primary sources

[Mills College Library]

967.73053 K179 2013