The Bantu Experience in the Somali Civil War

Somalia has undergone various civil wars in its history. Most civil wars have political underpinnings, as politicians usually spread hatred and animosity among the citizens to the point that a simple issue could result in a big fight. A good example is the American Civil War of 1861–1865, which arose due to differences in opinions regarding slavery. Another case was in Kenya (2007–2008), where the citizens differed on the outcome of the 2007 election. Somalia’s case was not any different; the war began as resistance against President Mohamed Siyad Barre. With time, it grew more prominent and, thus, affected many people within the country. The war was supposed to be between two Breed subclans, Darood and Hawiye, but it ended up affecting the Bantus the most.

It is noteworthy that tribal underpinnings often influence African countries’ politics. For example, Mohamed Siad Barre, President of the Somali Democratic Republic between 1969 and 1991, fell into a similar trap. He was a member of the Breed group and belonged to the clan of Darood and the sub-clan of Mareehan. President Barre could be said to be among the worst dictators the world has seen. He massacred many people in the name of tribal affiliations. His general, Farrah Hassan Aidid, was also a Breed but from the clan of Hawiye and the sub-clan of Habar-Gidir. Darood and Hawiye are the two most power-hungry sub-clans in Somalia. Thus, President Barre’s ascension to power was based on his tribal affiliation and not on his ability to lead the Somali people.

Most politicians cling to power regardless of public disapproval. For instance, President Barre began making plans to retain power while he was still in office. He intended to establish a monarchy in Somalia in which a member of his sub-clan could inherit power forever. President Barre denied the request of the other elites from the Breed sub-clan to replace him. Instead, he set out to replace his clan within the government. In the meantime, General Aidid had secretly organized and trained a militia force to oppose President Barre. When the president discovered the ongoing training, it was too late for him to stop it. As a result, he fled the nation and warned his people to prepare for civil war. Barre attempted to retain power despite lacking the support and favor of the Somalis.

Initially, the war seemed to be between two clans. So, most of the president’s clan members fled from their homes in Mogadishu and hid in the southern region because they were not prepared for war. The Hawiye clan was ready, and it started pursuing the Darood clan. Eventually, it was discovered that the members of the Darood clan were hiding in the Bantus’ area. The Hawiye clan went to the southern region and massacred the members of the Darood clan. It also committed other atrocities. For instance, the Hawiye clan members repeatedly assaulted the Darood women. The Darood clan members fled, but they had nowhere to hide from their rivals. The Bantus did not engage in the war at the time, and one of the reasons was that most of their youths died on the front lines during the Ethio-Somali war. Also, the Darood clan collected from them the few guns they had. Thus, it seemed like a war between the Darood and the Hawiye.

As the civil war between the Hawiye and the Darood clans escalated, the Bantus were accused by the Hawiye of being accomplices of the Darood. Thus, they mercilessly massacred them. In addition, they were harassed in various ways, such as by killings, sexual assaults (especially on women), and looting of their properties. While the Hawiye Clan was busy with the Bantus, the Darood Clan regrouped and returned for revenge. The Darood clan started attacking the Hawiye clan until they fled back to Mogadishu. After the Hawiye retreated to the capital, the Darood clan members continued fighting the Bantus, who were defenseless at the time. They accused them of failing to assist in fighting against the Hawiye clan. As the war continued, many Somali Bantus lost their lives since they were on the receiving end in the long run.

Thus, the Somali Civil War was supposed to be a war between two Breed sub-clans. Nonetheless, the Somali Bantus suffered the most compared  to the Breed Two group.   During the war, the Bantus underwent severe suffering—a violation and abuse of human rights at the hands of the Hawiye and Darood clans. The genesis of the war was the power struggle between President Barre and General Aidid. The general wanted to dislodge the president from power, but the latter refused to leave the office. Therefore, their respective sub-clans turned against each other. Somali Bantus only got involved due to their perceived association with both clans, each accusing the other of being an accomplice to the other.