The battle for Mogadishu, February to June 2006

In short

"During the reporting period, the capital saw some of the worst fighting for nearly a decade," the UN Secretary-General wrote in June 2006. "The conflict pitted militias loyal to the leaders of the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism (ARPCT) against those belonging to some of the Shariah Courts and their associates. Both sides belong to the Hawiye, the dominant clan in the Mogadishu area" (UN Security Council, S/2006/418, para. 5).

The fighting ended on 2 June 2006 "with the militias of the Shariah Courts making significant gains" (same source, para. 15). For what came next, see the Islamic Courts Union, 2006.

The two sides

• ARPCT. It "was formed officially on 18 February 2006. It comprises Government ministers and powerful businessmen and faction leaders. The stated aim of ARPCT is to uproot terrorist elements reportedly linked to, or protected by, some of the Shariah Courts" (S/2006/418, para. 6).
• Its members. The UN Monitoring Group listed the militias of four government ministers: Mohamed Qanyare Afrah (National Security), Muse Sudi Yalahow (Commerce), Omar Mohamed Mohamud (Religion) and Botan Isse Alin (Disarmament), along with businessmen including Bashir Raghe Shirar and Abdirashid Ilqeyte, and militia commanders (UN Monitoring Group, S/2006/229, para. 33).
• The courts. "At least seven Shariah Courts have been established in the city in the past few years." They provided "basic security and social services in sections of Mogadishu". Some had "been accused of being responsible for assassinations and terrorist attacks" and of "harbouring foreign individuals suspected of terrorist activities" (S/2006/418, para. 6).
• The government. President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi said ARPCT was "not acting in Mogadishu on their behalf", and that its ministers should come to Baidoa to work with the government (same source, para. 7). See the transitional governments, 2000–2012.

Foreign funding

The UN Monitoring Group reported that "clandestine third-country involvement in Somalia was active". During January and February 2006 "financial support was being provided to help organize and structure a militia force created to counter the threat posed by the growing militant fundamentalist movement". It did not name the country, because "it had not completed its investigation" (S/2006/229, paras. 32 and 35).

The scholar Ken Menkhaus described the alliance as "CIA-backed" (Middle East Research and Information Project, 2007).

The rounds of fighting

From the UN reports:

• 18–22 February and 22–25 March 2006. ARPCT and "militant fundamentalists fought each other in a series of fierce engagements in Mogadishu and Afgooye" (S/2006/229, para. 34).
• 22 March. Militia loyal to Abukar Umar Adani, "believed to be the main financier of the Shariah Courts", attacked militia of Bashir Raghe Shirar in north Mogadishu. It "began as a commercial dispute within the Abgal sub-clan" over access to the port of El Ma'an. Four days of fighting killed "at least 60 people, most of them civilians" (S/2006/418, para. 8).
• April. Intermittent clashes went on. "Up to 2,000 residents of Mogadishu sought safety across the border in Kenya" (same source, para. 9).
• 6 May. Militia of the Union of Islamic Courts chairman, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, fought those of the ARPCT member Nur Hassan Ali "Nur Diqle". "Both sides used heavy weapons indiscriminately, causing the deaths of at least 160 people and the wounding of 250 others. Most of the casualties were civilians" (same source, para. 10).
• 14 May. Clan elders, businessmen and politicians announced a ceasefire (same source, para. 13).
• 24–27 May. Fighting resumed in central Mogadishu; "at least 60 people were reported killed and some 100 were injured" (same source, para. 15).
• 2 June. The fighting ended with the courts' militias in control. "Some ARPCT leaders fled to Jowhar." On 4 June the courts took Balad, on the road to Jowhar (same source).

Who suffered?

• Civilians in Mogadishu, who were most of the dead: at least 60 in March, at least 160 in May and at least 60 more in late May, by the UN's counts (S/2006/418).
• People who fled, including up to 2,000 who crossed into Kenya (S/2006/418).
• Children. "The two sides have been recruiting children from the streets and schools to join their militia groups" (S/2006/418, para. 56).
• Kidnap victims. "Children and women, as well as prominent businessmen, are reported to be the prime targets for ransom" (same source).

Sources differ

• Who funded ARPCT. The UN Monitoring Group spoke of "clandestine third-country involvement" without naming the country. Menkhaus called the alliance "CIA-backed".
• What the fight was about. ARPCT said it was fighting terrorism. The UN noted that the March round "began as a commercial dispute" over port access, and that some court leaders called it a "commercial dispute between Adani and Raghe".
• The name. UN reports use both "Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism (ARPCT)" and "Alliance for Peace Restoration and Combat against Terror (APRCT)".

Read the primary sources yourself

• UN Secretary-General, report on Somalia, S/2006/418 (20 June 2006): PDF.
• UN Monitoring Group on Somalia, report S/2006/229 (4 May 2006): PDF.
• Ken Menkhaus, "There and Back Again in Somalia", MERIP, February 2007: article.