LOWER SHABEELLE IN THE CIVIL WAR HISTORICAL DYNAMICS OF LAND CONFLICTS IN A SOMALI REGION ROLAND MARCHAL AND ZAKARIA YUSUF MOGADISHU/NAIROBI/PARIS JUNE 2016 1 Table of Contents Foreword and disclaimer ............................................................................................................ 4 List of acronyms .......................................................................................................................... 0 Recommendations...................................................................................................................... 0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 6 Interpreting the civil war ........................................................................................................ 8 Lower Shabeelle within Somalia .......................................................................................... 10 Land conflicts and the building of a new state .................................................................... 12 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 13 Chapter one .............................................................................................................................. 16 A cosmopolitan social setting ................................................................................................... 16 A brief description of Lower Shabeelle ................................................................................ 18 A vibrant coastal civilisation ................................................................................................. 20 The hinterland migrations .................................................................................................... 24 A complex social configuration ............................................................................................ 26 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 29 Chapter two .............................................................................................................................. 30 At the margin? .......................................................................................................................... 30 The role of Islam ................................................................................................................... 31 A turbulent 19th century ....................................................................................................... 35 Colonial transformations ...................................................................................................... 36 The independent State (1960-1991) .................................................................................... 38 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 41 Chapter three ........................................................................................................................... 44 The civil war: from “mooryaanism” to Jihad ............................................................................ 44 Civil war: secular politics and “mooryaanism” ..................................................................... 45 Civil war: Islamic politics and Shabaab rule ......................................................................... 49 The South West State: expectations and disappointments ................................................. 52 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 56 Chapter four ............................................................................................................................. 58 An overview of land conflicts in present day Lower Shabeelle ............................................... 58 2 A glance at the current situation in Lower Shabeelle .......................................................... 59 Social mechanisms at play .................................................................................................... 61 The impact of Somali politics and Shabaab .......................................................................... 65 Challenges of the current situation ...................................................................................... 68 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 70 Annexes ...................................................................................................................................... 0 Lower Shabeelle main clan trees ............................................................................................ 0 Biimal Maxmed ................................................................................................................... 0 Biimal Ismin ........................................................................................................................ 0 Galadi .................................................................................................................................. 0 Galadi Yabadhaale .............................................................................................................. 0 Gare .................................................................................................................................... 0 Jiido Moholan Maxamed .................................................................................................... 0 Jiido Safar Yare ................................................................................................................... 0 Jiido ..................................................................................................................................... 0 Koofi .................................................................................................................................... 0 Shanta Caleen ..................................................................................................................... 0 Lower Shabeelle administrative maps ................................................................................... 0 3 Foreword and disclaimer This study was funded by the European Union, commissioned by the FAO/Somalia and NIS Foundation (Oslo). Fieldwork took place in Mogadishu throughout October 2015 and from late December 2015 to mid-January 2016. The authors benefitted a lot from their local consultants who organized meetings with elders and gathered data in a difficult moment for their home region. All those who helped carrying out this fieldwork, either in Somalia, in Nairobi or in Oslo should be thanked for their kindness and professionalism. None of them is responsible for the content of this report. Only the authors are. Their purpose is to contribute to a better understanding of the Lower Shabeelle situation and emphasize a need for peace in this region that has much suffered throughout the last quarter of century. The views reflected in the report do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FAO, EU or NIS and the maps do not imply an endorsement of territorial boundaries. 4 List of acronyms AFIS: Amministrazione fiduciaria italiana della Somalia AMISOM: AU Mission in Somalia EU: European Union HDDM: Hisbul Disturil Digil-Mirifle HMS: Harakada Mujaahidiinta Alshabaab ICU: Islamic Courts Union IGAD: Inter Governmental Authority on Development RRA: Rahanweyn Resistance Army Shabaab: Harakada Mujaahidiinta Alshabaab SDF: Somali Democratic Front SFG: Somali Federal Government SNA: Somali National Army SNG: Somali National Government SNM: Somali National Movement SPM: Somali Patriotic Movement SSDF: Somali Salvation Democratic Front SSNM: Southern Somali National Movement SWS: Interim Administration of the South West State SYL: Somali Youth League TFG: Transitional Federal Government UNITAF: United Task Force UNOSOM II: United Nations Operation in Somalia USC: United Somali Congress 0 Recommendations “Salus populi suprema lex esto” A. Executive Summary 1. Lower Shabeelle is the third most populated region of Somalia. This region hosts one of the richest agricultural areas of the country as well as significant proportion of pastoralists. Lower Shabeelle is made up of 8 districts and its capital is Merka. While its irrigated lands have attracted much attention, rain-fed agriculture has also developed, besides pastoralism. 2. The social fabric of the region is very original as it offers the characteristics of a coastal civilisation. It is the result of important migrations from northern Somalia and Ethiopia, which have taken place over the last centuries that overwhelmed the autochthonous population made up of Bantus. While Lower Shabeelle people refer to the clan segmentary model to define their identity, the reality is more complex than this model as people’s identity is defined different ways, depending on which clan their ancestor or themselves belonged to when they arrived in the region and which clan has been hosting them for generations. The Digil clan confederation is the best illustration of this social process of integration and identification. 3. Islam developed in this region at a time of great predicament. The main Sufi orders are well