Conflict and the crises in Somalia

Abstract

This thesis explores causes of the conflict in Somalia, a country that has experienced highly catastrophic conflict and continues to be in perpetual state of violent conflicts since 1991 its central state has collapsed. By combining certain conflict, theoretical frameworks the thesis seeks to understand the conflict in Somalia, its drivers, and role of the clan and its manipulation. The data in this thesis is collected through qualitative methods of interviews, participant observation, focus group and key informant interviews. The thesis finds that a number of causes and driver of the conflicts in Somalia as the colonial legacy, resources competitions, elites manipulation of clan and leadership and institutions failures.

While these factors fuel the conflict current theoretical conceptions, especially primordialist and instrumentalist fail to capture the conflict as they center on the nation of identity meanwhile the conflict in Somalia is a multifaceted one. Therefore, to better capture conflict in the country, an integrated and more domesticated theoretical conception that have the capacity to consider different elements in the conflict would be needed to advance our understanding of the country`s conflict.