Politics
After the civil war, some of the Darood clans declared a self-governing area they named Puntland. They declared it would take part in reconciliation and a new central government. Southwestern Somalia declared its own autonomy in 2002.
Inner conflict weakened the Rahanweyn military in 2006, the southwest area was central to the TFG based in Baidoa.
The TFG met in Kenya and published a charter for the nation’s government in 2004. Baidoa became TFG’s capital.
In 2006, fighting broke out between Mogadishu warlords, known as the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism, and militia loyal to the Islamic Court Union, who were seeking to establish Sharia law.
During the fighting, several hundred were killed. The ICU alleged the U.S. CIA was involved in the conflict, which the agency denied.
The ICU controlled Mogadishu by June 2006. The ARPCT forces were defeated in their last stronghold and forced to flee to Ethiopia.
The Transitional Government, supported by Ethiopia, called for peacekeeping intervention, which the ICU opposed. The ICU took control of southern Somalia, primarily through negotiation with clan chiefs.
The ICU did steer clear of the Ethiopian border due to the Ethiopians statements that it would protect the Transitional Government there is threatened. After the ICU took Kismayo, the last port in the transitional government’s hands, Ethiopia invaded Somalia.
In November 2006, peace talks broke down and international groups fear full-scale war. In December, fighting broke out again. Later that month, Ethiopians launched airstrikes against the ICU forces. Ethiopia claimed to be entering the war to protect its sovereignty.
After Ethiopian assaults, the ICU forces fell back toward Mogadishu. Ethiopian forces entered the city on December 28, 2006. Despite claims of security, the transitional government and Ethiopia face frequent attacks from Islamic forces.
The ICU forces retreated south and were followed by the Ethiopian and government forces. In January 2007, the U.S. sent gunships to attack ICU positions, largely defeating the ICU. Other Islamist groups formed in 2007 and 2008 and continued to fight. They recaptured large portions of the country. Ethiopian troops retreated in 2009. The ICU does not exist and is now part of the transitional government.
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed announced his resignation as president in 2008. The parliament speaker, Aden Mohamed, succeeded him in office. In 2009, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed was elected president. In return for becoming part of the government the ICU was given 200 seats in parliament.
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud became president who took office in 2012, as the country’s first since the dissolution of the Transitional Federal Government.
Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed(Farmaajo) is the 9th and current President of Somalia since 16 February 2017.