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Conflict Early Warning Early Response Unit From the bottom up: Southern Regions - Perspectives through conflict analysis and key political actors’ mapping of Gedo, Middle Juba, Lower Juba, and Lower Shabelle - SEPTEMBER 2013 With support from Conflict Dynamics International Conflict Early Warning Early Response Unit From the bottom up: Southern Regions - Perspectives through conflict analysis and key political actors’ mapping of Gedo, Middle Juba, Lower Juba, and Lower Shabelle Version 2 Re-Released Deceber 2013 with research finished June 2013 With support from Conflict Dynamics International Support to the project was made possible through generous contributions from the Government of Norway Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government of Switzerland Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The views expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the official position of Conflict Dynamics International or of the Governments of Norway or Switzerland. CONTENTS Abbreviations 7 ACKNOWLEDGMENT 8 Conflict Early Warning Early Response Unit (CEWERU) 8 Objectives 8 Conflict Dynamics International (CDI) 8 From the Country Coordinator 9 I. OVERVIEW 10 Social Conflict 10 Cultural Conflict 10 Political Conflict 10 II. INTRODUCTION 11 Key Findings 11 Opportunities 12 III. GEDO 14 Conflict Map: Gedo 14 Clan Chart: Gedo 15 Introduction: Gedo 16 Key Findings: Gedo 16 History of Conflict: Gedo 16 Cross-Border Clan Conflicts 18 Key Political Actors: Gedo 19 Political Actor Mapping: Gedo 20 Clan Analysis: Gedo 21 Capacity of Current Government Administration: Gedo 21 Conflict Mapping and Analysis: Gedo 23 Conflict Profile: Gedo 23 Conflict Timeline: Gedo 25 Peace Initiative: Gedo 26 IV. MIDDLE JUBA 27 Conflict Map: Middle Juba 27 Clan Chart: Middle Juba 28 Introduction: Middle Juba 29 Key Findings: Middle Juba 29 History of Conflict : Middle Juba 29 Key Political Actors: Middle Juba 29 Political Actor Mapping: Middle Juba 30 Capacity of Current Government Administration: Middle Juba 31 Conflict Mapping and Analysis: Middle Juba 31 Conflict Profile: Middle Juba 31 V. LOWER JUBA 32 Conflict Map: Lower Juba 32 Clan Chart: Lower Juba 33 Introduction: Lower Juba 34 Key Findings: Lower Juba 34 History of Conflict: Lower Juba 35 Key Political Actors: Lower Juba 36 Kismayo: Conflict Timeline 37 Political Actor Mapping: Lower Juba 38 Kismayo Clan Alliances 39 The Darod/Hawiye Contest 40 Capacity of Current Government Administration: Lower Juba 41 Conflict Mapping and Analysis: Lower Juba 42 Conflict Profile: Lower Juba 42 Peace Initiatives: Lower Juba 44 Military Troop Movements 46 VI. LOWER SHABELLE 47 Conflict Map: Lower Shabelle 47 Clan Chart: Lower Shabelle 48 Introduction: Lower Shabelle 49 Key Findings: Lower Shabelle 49 History of Conflict:: Lower Shabelle 49 Conflict in Lower Shabelle 50 Key Political Actors: Lower Shabelle 51 Clan Analysis: : Lower Shabelle 51 Capacity of Current Government Administration: : Lower Shabelle 51 Political Actor Mapping: : Lower Shabelle 52 Land Dispute 54 Conflict Mapping and Analysis: Lower Shabelle 55 Conflict Profile: Lower Shabelle 55 Governance Timeline 56 Peace Initiatives: Lower Shabelle 57 VII. ANNEX A: METHODOLOGY 59 Abbreviations AIAI Al-Ittihad al-Islamiya AMISOM African Union Mission in Somalia ASWJ Ahlu Sunnah wal Jamaah AU African Union CEWERU Conflict Early Warning and Response Unit CDI Conflict Dynamics International DC District Commissioner ENDF Ethiopia National Defense Force IDP Internally displaced person IGAD Inter-Governmental Authority on Development JVA Juba Valley Alliance KDF Kenya Defence Forces LNGO Local non-governmental organization MP Member of Parliament NCA Norwengian Church Aid NGO Non-governmental organization ONLF Ogaden National Liberation Front RKB Ras Kamboni Brigade SNA Somali National Army SOYDEN Somali Youth Development Network SVA Shabelle Valley Alliance SFG Somali Federal Government SNF Somali National Front SPM Somali Patriotic Movement SSDF Somali Salvation Democratic Front TFG Transitional Federal Government TIS Transitional Initiative for Stabilization TNG Transitional National Government UIC Union of Islamic Courts UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development USC United Somalia Congress 7 Acknowledgements The Somali CEWERU would like to acknowledge the support given to us by the people of Gedo, Middle Juba, Lower Juba, and Lower Shabelle regions by providing important information that made this exercise a success. We would also like to thank SOYDEN and the CEWERU field staff members who, despite difficult field conditions, helped organize community interviews enabling us to gather important information and produce an informed analysis of the conflict situation. Hopefully this report provides an invaluable asset to local communities, the Somali Federal Government (SFG), other authorities in Somalia, and the international community, and will generate further discussion on how to develop robust and practical measures to transform the situation in conflict affected communities in Somalia. Conflict Early Warning Early Response Unit (CEWERU) The Somalia CEWERU together with the National Research Institute (NRI) SOYDEN has implemented a series of activities in the Somalia towns bordering Kenya and Ethiopia. The activities include: • Linking and strengthening the local CEWERU structures along the Kenya-Somali and Ethiopia-Somali border for effective response to local conflict. • The establishment of a national fund for rapid response to support local initiatives along the Kenya-Somali and Ethiopia-Somali border. • Recruitment of volunteer Field Monitors in Lower Juba and Gedo regions with the aim to monitor, analyses and report conflict early warning indicators in order to enhance rapid response initiatives. • Conducted conflict analysis and mapping in liberated regions in Central Somalia • Training and capacity building for the CEWERU technical committees and other stakeholders on conflict and peacebuilding. • Creation/identification of peace corridors/hotspots along the borders. • Linkage between administration and cross-border communities and peace structures at the border. • Formation/strengthening of district peace committees along the Somali border with Kenya and Ethiopia. Objectives 1. Improving, strengthening and enhancing existing peace structures at the border area through effective capacity building strategies. 2. Establishment of cross-border community working groups that acts as a resource mobilization oversight council. 3. Providing technical trainings for the existing traditional and community based peace structures. 4. Enhancing the relationships that existed between CEWERU’s of Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia through peace committees. 5. Supporting and strengthening cross-border peace building institutions and district peace committees in Gedo and Lower Juba region. www.somaliaceweru.org Conflict Dynamics International (CDI) Conflict Dynamics International’s goal is to support the Somali people in exploring, reaching consensus around and implementing governance arrangements that can achieve lasting political accommodation. Conflict Dynamics works in partnership with Somali organizations across Somalia, and has partnered with SOYDEN on behalf of the Somali CEWERU to bring this important research to Somali communities and leaders. www.cdint.org 8 From the Country Coordinator It has been a long journey to where we are today. The Somali CEWERU would like to thank PEACE II, TIS/USAID and CEWARN for their continued support since 2007. Through hard work and patience in a very short time the Somali CEWERU has achieved a lot. I personally have had the opportunity to attend CEWARN/IGAD forums as a civil society representative focusing on conflict early warning strategic review. I have also seen the Somali CEWERU come out from the shadows of our more stable neighbors, like Kenya and Ethiopia. In the early days of our engage- ment with CEWARN there was always only just one Somali representative at the CEWARN/ IGAD meetings, whereas today 10 Somalis participants attended the CEWERN/IGAD meeting to show case their achievements. It has been a great experience supporting the Somali CEWERU and I look forward to seeing the institution expand their work in new border regions. I hope we will be able to host our regional neighbors in one of the forums in the near future and let them experience the warm Somali hospi- tality. I hope this report will support the development of strategic peace and reconciliation efforts cur- rently underway in Somalia today and that it will be a resource for both national and interna- tional peacebuilders. I look forward to a great partnership with Somali-CEWERU and wish them the best in their work. Keep up the hard work and continue with your commitments to the greater society. Osman Moallim CEWARN/CEWERU Country Coordinator Executive Director of Somali Youth Development Network Tre Piano Building, Via Maka Al-Mukarama Office +252-1-250708 Mobile +252-699960576/615777808 Mogadishu, Somalia Mobile +254-710406056 Nairobi, Kenya www.soyden.net 9 I. Overview For more than two decades, southern and central Somalia have been plagued by instability, violence, and armed conflict. Analysis tends to suggest that conflicts revolve around clan identities, which are exploited for political purposes. This has led to a focus on political reconciliation through clan power-sharing arrangements at the national level. However, at the local and regional