Field Notes Clearing Safe Spaces for Drought Affected Communities in Somaliland by Ed Lajoie and Megan Dwyer [ The HALO Trust ]
G
overnments and nongovernmental organizations
to secure the border and establish forward logistics bases for
(NGO) working in the Horn of Africa consistently
resupplying troops in Ethiopia, the Somali National Army
identify conflict and climate change as two primary
(SNA) established a series of military installations ringed by
drivers of insecurity in the region. The HALO Trust’s land-
anti-personnel and anti-tank mines on the border between
mine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) clearance in the
Somaliland and Ethiopia. During this time, large amounts of
Republic of Somaliland over the last 19 years has been at the
weapons, ammunition, and military equipment were brought
intersection of these two issues.
into the country. Both Somalia and Ethiopia had been Soviet client states and received large amounts of military assistance;
History of Conflict in Modern Somaliland
however, with the start of the Ogaden War, the Soviets were
Somaliland is a self-declared independent republic but is
forced to choose sides and decided to back Ethiopia. Eager
not recognized by the United Nations and its member states.
to seize the opportunity to win an ally in the region, the
Located in the northwest region of Somalia, Somaliland bor-
United States stepped in and began supplying war material
ders the semi-autonomous region of Puntland to the east,
to Somalia. This infusion of armaments helped fuel the next
Ethiopia to the south and southwest, Djibouti to the north-
stage of conflict in the country.
west, and the Gulf of Aden to the north. The region that now
By the 1980s, Somaliland was growing disillusioned with
comprises Somaliland was home to various sultanates un-
the Somali Democratic Republic as it was called after Siad
til becoming a British protectorate from 1884 until indepen-
Barre’s 1969 takeover. Power and resources were held dispro-
dence on 26 June 1960. On 1 July 1960, Somaliland reunited
portionately by those in the south, while the north was bearing
with the successor state of Italy’s protectorate in the south to
the burden of the aftereffects of the Ogaden War including an
form the Somali Republic. On 18 May 1991 with the Somali
influx of Somali refugees from the disputed region. The Somali
Republic crumbling, the Republic of Somaliland unilaterally
National Movement (SNM) was founded in 1981 as an orga-
declared its independence and maintains a de facto state to
nization advocating political redress of northern grievanc-
this day.
es but morphed into an all-out revolutionary independence
The majority of the landmine and ERW contamination in
movement by the mid-‘80s as the Somali government sought
Somaliland is the result of three periods of major conflict.
JUL
to eliminate all resistance with increasingly harsh methods.
In 1977, Somali President Siad Barre launched the Ogaden
During this time, which is generally considered part of the
War against regional rival Ethiopia, ostensibly to regain the
Somali Civil War, the SNA continued laying mines to pro-
Ogaden territory of eastern Ethiopia regarded by the Somali
tect its bases and infrastructure from SNM attacks, while the
government as rightfully part of a “greater Somalia.” In order
SNM used landmines to ambush SNA patrols and logistics
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
Land preparation and planting Gu off-season harvest
Gu harvest
Camel calving
Camel calving
OCT
Livestock migration to dry season grazing areas
Livestock migration to wet season grazing areas
Livestock migration to wet season grazing areas Peak labor demand
NOV
DEC
JAN
Figure 1. Somaliland seasonal calendar showing the two rainy seasons. Figure courtesy of Famine Early Warning Systems.
46
Agricultural lean season Kidding and lambing
Cattle calving in the south
Peak labor demand
SEP
Gu rainy season
Pastoral lean season
Kidding and lambing Livestock migration to dry season grazing areas
AUG
JUL
JUN
Land preparation and planting Deyr off-season harvest
Deyr harvest
Deyr rainy season
Cattle calving in the south
JUL
MAY
FIELD NOTES @ THE JOURNAL OF CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS DESTRUCTION
FEB
MAR
APR
JUL MAY
JUN
