The United Somali Congress, a largely Hawiye-based clan organization, is generally credited with deposing Siad Barre, president of Somalia, in January of 1991 (Country Reports 1991 1992, 344; Amnesty International Report 1992 1992, 232; News from Africa Watch 13 Feb. 1992, 3; Gilkes, Sept. 1994, 27). However, soon after Barre was forced to flee from the capital, Mogadishu, the USC openly split into Abgal and Habr Gedir factions, the former led by Ali Mahdi and the latter by General Aidid. Following the failure of various attempts at reconciling the competing factions, open fighting erupted between the two groups resulting in the deaths of thousands in Mogadishu by the end of 1991 (ibid., 36; Country Reports 1991 1992, 344; Amnesty International Report 1992 1992, 232).

For a description of the rivalries between the Habr Gedir and the Abgal subclans and that of their leaders, please consult pages 27-36 of The Price of Peace: Somalia and the United Nations 1991-1994 and Somalia: A Fight to the Death? a report prepared by the Africa Watch division of Human Rights Watch, which are available at Regional Documentation Centres. The attached documents provide additional information on the conflict between the two Hawiye subclans.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Amnesty International. 1992. Amnesty International Report 1992. New York: Amnesty International, USA.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1991. 1992. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.

Gilkes, P. September 1994. The Price of Peace: Somalia and the United Nations 1991-1994. Bedfordshire, UK: Save the Children Fund, UK.

News from Africa Watch [New York]. 13 February 1992. Vol. 4, No. 2. "Somalia: A Fight to the Death?"

Africa Confidential [London]. 7 February 1992. Vol. 33, No. 3. "Somalia: Ways to End the Slaughter," pp. 5-6.

_____ . 25 October 1991. Vol. 32, No. 21. "Somalia: Fragile Agreements," pp. 5-6.

_____ . 9 August 1991. Vol. 32, No. 16. "Somalia: Still Fighting," pp. 6-7.

_____ . 22 February 1991. Vol. 32, No. 4. "Somalia: Trouble in Store," p. 8.

_____ . 8 February 1991. Vol. 32, No. 3. "Somalia: Where Do We Go from Here?," pp. 1-2.

Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series [London]. 1-29 February 1991. Vol. 29, No. 2. "Somalia: Warlord Expelled," p. 10461.

_____ . 1-31 January 1992. Vol. 29, No. 1. "Somalia: UN Failure," pp. 10431-32.

_____ . 1-30 November 1991. Vol. 28, No. 12. "Somalia: UN Force Needed," p. 10395.

_____ . 1-30 November 1991. Vol. 28, No. 11. "Somalia: Violent Power Struggle," pp. 10356-57.

_____ . 1-31 October 1991. Vol. 28, No. 10. "Somalia: Government Sworn In," p. 10299.

_____ . 1-30 September 1991. Vol. 28, No. 9. "Somalia: Fighting in the Streets," pp. 10280-81.

_____ . 1-30 June 1991. Vol. 28, No. 6. "Somalia: Fighting in Mogadishu," p. 10180.

_____ . 1-31 March 1991. Vol. 28, No. 3. "Somalia: Chaos Reigns," pp. 10063-64

_____ . 1-28 February 1991. Vol. 28, No. 2. "Somalia: Call for National Conference," pp. 10025-26.

The Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris]. 25 January 1992. No. 511. "Somalia: Developments in Battle of Mogadishu," p. 4.

_____ . 23 November 1991. No. 503. "Somalia: The War of Mogadishu," p. 3.

_____ . 5 October 1991. No. 496. "Somalia: The Strong-man of Mogadishu," p. 2.

_____ . 21 September 1991. No. 494. "Somalia: No Change in Situation in Mogadishu," p. 4.

_____ . 14 September 1991. No. 493. "Somalia: Unsettled Business," pp. 1, 3.

_____ . 31 August 1991. No. 491. "Somalia: Shaky Power Situation Prevails," p. 5.

_____ . 3 August 1991. No. 490. "In Brief: Somalia," p. 8.

_____ . 13 July 1991. No. 487. "Somalia: Guess Who's Coming to Town," pp. 1, 3.

_____ . 6 July 1991. No. 486. "Somalia: Third United Somali Congress Congress Postponed," p. 4.

_____ . 22 June 1991. No. 484. "Somalia: Reports of Fighting in Mogadishu," p. 5.

_____ . 11 May 1991. No. 478. "Somalia: The Hawiye Connection," pp. 1, 4.

_____ . 2 February 1991. No. 464. "Somalia: Power Struggle," pp. 1, 4.

_____ . 12 January 1991. No. 461. "Somalia: In the Throes of Agony," pp. 1-2.

_____ . 22 December 1990. No. 459. "Somalia: Negotiation Promise and Rifts within USC," p. 4.
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