In 1991, President Siad Barre of Somalia was overthrown after 21 years in office. However, no single individual or group was able to consolidate power. As a result, the country gradually disintegrated into factional fighting between rival clans. In November, intense fighting broke out in the capital, Mogadishu, between the faction supporting Interim President Ali Mahdi Mohamed and the faction supporting General Mohamed Farah Aidid, Chairman of the United Somali Congress. Fighting spread to other regions of the country, with heavily armed elements controlling various parts of Somalia. Widespread death and destruction forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Nearly one million people sought refuge outside the country. Almost 5 million people-over half the population-were threatened by hunger and disease.
On January 23, 1992, the Security Council adopted resolution 733. The resolution urged all parties to the conflict to cease hostilities and agree to a cease-fire and to promote the process of reconciliation. It also imposed a general and complete embargo on the delivery of weapons and military equipment to Somalia. It then requested Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali to undertake the necessary action to increase humanitarian assistance to the affected populations in Somalia. Finally, it requested the Secretary-General to initiate contacts with the parties in order to commence negotiations at resolving the conflict.
On January 31st, Boutros-Ghali invited interim President Ali Mahdi and General Aidid, as well as the League of Arab States (LAS), the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to send representatives to attend talks in February at United Nations Headquarters. The talks succeeded in getting the two factions to agree on a cease-fire, and to a visit by a delegation composed of the United Nations and the three regional organizations. After intensive negotiations conducted by the delegation, the two parties signed an agreement on the implementation of a cease-fire. Further talks led to agreements on a cease-fire to be monitored by United Nations observers and on the protection of humanitarian convoys by United Nations security personnel.
On April 24th, the Security Council adopted resolution 751 which established the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM). Its mandate was to facilitate the cessation of hostilities and the maintenance of a cease-fire and to promote a political settlement in the country. In early July, 50 United Nations military observers arrived in Mogadishu and were followed by some 500 United Nations security personnel. Meanwhile, humanitarian efforts were being carried out by six United Nations organizations and more than 30 relief organizations.
In August, the Secretary-General reported to the Security Council that the United Nations and its partners were ready to provide much greater assistance. However, they were prevented from doing so by the lawlessness and lack of security prevailing throughout Somalia. He recommended deploying up to 3,000 security troops to protect the humanitarian efforts. This proposal was subsequently endorsed by the Security Council. However, the situation continued to deteriorate. The delivery of humanitarian aid became more and more difficult. Relief ships were blocked from docking and were even shelled. Ports and airports came under fire. Money and relief supplies were being extorted from donor agencies and the lives of their personnel trying to distribute aid to starving people were being put in danger. As a result, only a trickle of relief supplies was reaching the needy. According to some estimates, as many as 3,000 people a day were dying of starvation. Unless the security problems were solved, United Nations and relief agencies would be unable to provide the massive assistance needed. On November 24th, Boutros-Ghali again reported to the Security Council on the deteriorating situation in Somalia and on the factors preventing UNOSOM from carrying out its mandate.
On November 25th, the United States offered to organize and command an operation to ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Somalia. The Security Council accepted on December 3rd. Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter, the Council authorized the use of all necessary means to establish a secure environment for humanitarian relief operations in Somalia.
The first elements of the Unified Task Force (UNITAF) were deployed in Mogadishu on December 9th. UNITAF consisted of military units from 24 countries and was led by the United States. By December 28th, all major relief centers in the country had been secured, and humanitarian assistance was again flowing. UNOSOM worked in strict coordination with UNITAF and remained responsible for humanitarian assistance and for efforts to arrive at a political solution of the crisis.
At a meeting convened by the Secretary-General at Addis Ababa in January 1993, 14 Somali political movements signed a cease-fire agreement and pledged to hand over all weapons to UNITAF and UNOSOM. By March 1993, some 37,000 UNITAF troops were deployed throughout Somalia. They greatly improved the security situation and the delivery of humanitarian assistance. As a result, the level of malnutrition and death from starvation fell dramatically. Accordingly, the UNOSOM mandate was terminated in April 1993.
Source: Basic Facts About the United Nations. Published by United Nations Department of Public Information. Copyright 1995 United Nations.
