Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Civil War - Essay Example Back in the last decade of the 20th century, Somali was engrossed in a civil war. The mood on the ground was that the government of Siad Barre becoming too harsh to the people. Whether such claims were true or not, what followed was one of the longest and perhaps bloodiest civil war ever witnessed on the African continent. Probably the only country that had also been through such a long period of war is now the newly independent Southern Sudan. Thanks to Kenya and AMISOM (African Mission in Somali) troops, the Somali people recently voted in a new parliament that successfully voted for a new president. Things appear to be poised for changes but that is for history to judge. It is vital to analyze the context of the civil war in Somali prior to the recent developments. Such an analysis will take into consideration the humanitarian crisis. Even so, this is not to imply that the process towards a stable Somalia had been a smooth transition. The Somali civil war case has been one that ha s had far-reaching effects immediately after the overthrowing of Barre’s government in 1991. Being a country that is made up of clans, what erupted in the initial period was a contest for dominance by all the major clans. It was almost practically impossible trying to persuade any clan lord to visualize a united Somali with him on the periphery. I use "him" because under sharia law, some positions of leadership are gender governed and Somali being a predominantly Muslim nation, the rule applies (Munene, 2012).