STARVING STRANGERS CASE STUDY: SOMALIA

Anran WangAhRum Choi

Historical Background Since 1969, Somalia was ruled by

one dictator and his extend family

Well armed since it had been a client of Russia and then a client of the US

The state rapidly degenerated into anarchy followed by the fall of the government of Siad Barre in Janu-ary 1991

Mass starvation occurred and in re-sponse to this, the US-led interven-tion took place in December 1992.

Key Tipping Points and Actions Taken In 1992, Somalia was gripped with terri-

ble famine following the collapse of the Somali state.

The international community failed to re-spond to this emergency and only started to respond in the summer of 1992 – the UN Secretary General with a more forcible approach and the Bush Administration’s handling of the Somali crisis

Key Tipping Points and Actions Taken

Resolution 794 Passed on 3 December 1992, It granted the

further employment of personnel of the UN Operation in Somalis.

Chapter VII was invoked to allow the US to conduct military enforcement action.

Passed unanimously. Even China and India went along with this because of the “unique-ness” of this case: it does not breach the UN’s non-intervention rule in Article 2(7).

Key Tipping Points and Actions Taken

Resolution 794 “Recognizing the unique character of the

present situation in Somalia…the magni-tude of the human tragedy…constitutes a threat to international peace and security”

Authorizing a Chapter VII intervention ex-pressed in humanitarian reasons: that se-vere humanitarian situation is now consid-ered a “threat”

Key Tipping Points and Actions Taken

December 1992 Operation Restore Hope was launched and

the Unified Task Force (UNITAF) composed of 30,000 US troops plus contributions from thirty other states went into Somali to de-liver food aid.

The scope of action was very limited as it only focused on ensuring humanitarian aid without disarming the warring parties.

Key Tipping Points and Actions Taken

Jan - Mar 1993 – the Addis Ababa Accords An attempt to establish a new framework for na-

tion building in Somalia As a result, a formal ceasefire and disarmament

agreement among the fourteen groups were reached.

However, fighting still broke out and the second conference was held in March

The agreement called for disarmament within ninety days and saw the UN step up its commit-ment by supporting the nation building processes.

Key Tipping Points and Actions Taken Resolution 814

A new mandate was necessary to replace UNITAF which was only authorized to use force to assist with the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Particular commitment from the US and no state spoke against it stating that it is an “exceptional” case and is necessary for the int’l community to respond to the situation in Somalia

Authorized UN forces under Chapter VII to use force to: To create a secure environment throughout Somalia To promote political reconciliation To establish the rule of law To ensure compliance by all Somali parties

Key Tipping Points and Actions Taken

UNOSOM II forces Their main task was to assist the rebuilding of

basic institutions and with it, the formal con-trol was transferred to the UN

20,000 UN peacekeepers The US contributed 8000 logistical troops and

a QRF of 1,200 men as well as providing one third of the total cost

On 4th May 1993, UNOSOM II forces replaced UNITAF but the security situation was rapidly deteriorating in Mogandishu.

Key Tipping Points and Actions Taken

Resolution 837 Adopted after the killing of 24 Pakistani peace-

keepers on 5 June Condemned the ‘unprovoked armed attacks’ and

authorized ‘all necessary measures against all those responsible’.

US started hunting for Aidid and conducted air at-tacks against the clans and sub-clans allied to the SNA. Civilian losses occurred (over 100 Somalis)

Now a military intervention instead of humanitar-ian intervention?

Key Tipping Points and Actions Taken

Resolution 837 saw a heavier US military involvement and with it came more casu-alties and stronger political backlash from the Congress.

On 22 August, President Clinton decided to send in the Delta Force and Army Rangers. Meanwhile, the Clinton Adm tried to change the policy course with a renewed emphasis on exploring nonmili-tary options.

Key Tipping Points and Actions Taken

The October 3 Debacle The Rangers continued to hunt down Aidid

despite what was going on in the Clinton Adm

Two Blackhawks were shot down by SNA forces. 500 Somalis were killed and 18 Rangers were killed.

Domestic pressure grew immensely and President Clinton announced a withdrawal of all US forces by 31 March 1994

Failures of International Society (1)

The UN Secretary General and Security Council should have stopped the military operation when it caused large-scale civil-ian deaths.

Failed to do this, the “humanitarian” oper-ation stepped out of line and lost the sup-port from local public.

Failures of International Society (2)

Developed Western Countries showed lit-tle interest in contributing to the rebuild of the state of Somalia.

After getting involved in the confronta-tion for a certain period of time, the in-ternational society withdrew its forces with problems unsolved. Their transitory involvement may make the situation de-teriorate.

Security Council and US Army’s ignored lo-cal cultural tradition.

Failures of International Society (3)

The UN should have gathered information re-garding Aidid’s guilt in order to persuade el-ders and clan leaders to cooperate with it.

Helicopters of US Army displayed the boots of its soldiers they were flying their low-level search.

Puzzles Surrounding the Failures of International Society (1)How to ensure the power and flexibility needed by the UN forces to effectively achieve the goals of their operation, while at the same time maintain the effective control by the UN on its forces?If the UN forces are not given enough power and resources, then no positive outcome may result. On the other hand, failure to regulate the action of the forces may result in outcomes that go against humanitarian purposes.

Puzzles Surrounding the Failures of International Society (2)In the case where violence toward human rights is not resulted from any deliberate action by the government but rooted in the disorder of the whole society, is armed intervention by outside forces still able to solve the problem?Viewing from the case of Somalia, it is highly doubtful whether armed interven-tion works in such situation. Ironically, it is exactly because the anarchic status in Somalia that China and India acceded to the resolution in SC.

Puzzles Surrounding the Failures of International Society (3)In the case where no one is willing to bol-ster the reestablishment of social order and rule of the law, is it still sagacious to carry out short-term operation aiming at stopping the slaughter which is happen-ing or about to happen?Intervention without efforts in long-term rebuild may possibly in fact worsen the situation. However, international society cannot remain ignorant on large-scale vi-olations of human rights.

Evaluation of Legitimacy (1)Supreme Humanitarian EmergencyYes.

Last resortYes.

ProportionalityUnder controversy but seems Yes.

Positive Humanitarian OutcomeUnder controversy but seems no.

Humanitarian MotivesYes. More than one motives exist but human-itarian consideration seems to be the over-whelming one.

Humanitarian JustificationYes.

LegalityYes. Approved by the Security Council.

SelectivitySeems no.

Evaluation of Legitimacy (2)

Threshold/ CriteriaMinimum threshold

Supreme humanitarian emergency

Yes

Last resort YesProportionality YesPositive humanitarian out-come

No

Addi-tional criteria

Humanitarian motives YesHumanitarian justification YesLegality YesSelectivity No

Evaluation of Legitimacy (3)

Aftermath and Current Situation

3 March 1995, UN withdrew its operation, with the rule of government still not restored. August 1996, Aidid was killed in Mogadishu.August 2000, Peace Conference held in Djibouti where parliament and president were elected but boycotted by warlords.December 2004, Transitional Federal Govern-ment(TFG) founded in Kenya.June 2005, TFG moved to the city of Baidoa in Southern Somalia.December 2006, TFG defeated sectarian forces and moved to Mogadishu.

Somaliland 1991-

present

Puntland 1998-present

Maakhir 2007-2008

Galmudug 2006-present

Transitional Federal Gov-

ernment 2004-present

Jubaland 2001-2006

Southwestern Somalia 2002-2006

Islamic Courts Union 2006-2007

Thank You for Listening

Ahrum & Anran