Read this masterpiece—Clan Cleansing in Somalia: The Ruinous Legacy of 1991

[ThePrince]

I just this book. It is very well written, very illuminating. It was written by Lidwien Kapteijns, an American academic who speaks fluent Somali and has masterful understanding of clan dynamics in Somalia. Here is the book's summary from amazon:

In 1991, certain political and military leaders in Somalia, wishing to gain exclusive control over the state, mobilized their followers to use terror—wounding, raping, and killing—to expel a vast number of Somalis from the capital city of Mogadishu and south-central and southern Somalia. Manipulating clan sentiment, they succeeded in turning ordinary civilians against neighbors, friends, and coworkers. Although this episode of organized communal violence is common knowledge among Somalis, its real nature has not been publicly acknowledged and has been ignored, concealed, or misrepresented in scholarly works and political memoirs—until now. Marshaling a vast amount of source material, including Somali poetry and survivor accounts, Clan Cleansing in Somalia analyzes this campaign of clan cleansing against the historical background of a violent and divisive military dictatorship, in the contemporary context of regime collapse, and in relationship to the rampant militia warfare that followed in its wake.

Clan Cleansing in Somalia also reflects on the relationship between history, truth, and postconflict reconstruction in Somalia. Documenting the organization and intent behind the campaign of clan cleansing, Lidwien Kapteijns traces the emergence of the hate narratives and code words that came to serve as rationales and triggers for the violence. However, it was not clans that killed, she insists, but people who killed in the name of clan. Kapteijns argues that the mutual forgiveness for which politicians often so lightly call is not a feasible proposition as long as the violent acts for which Somalis should forgive each other remain suppressed and undiscussed. Clan Cleansing in Somalia establishes that public acknowledgment of the ruinous turn to communal violence is indispensable to social and moral repair, and can provide a gateway for the critical memory work required from Somalis on all sides of this multifaceted conflict.

Of course we were all raised with a certain narrative about the civil war, which of course favored whichever clan our parents and families came from. If you want to escape that biased narrative for a more objective narrative of the war, I'd encourage you to read this book with an open mind. You will learn a lot. And if you've read it already, let us discuss it....

 

[Duchess]

Great book. It should be mandatory reading in secondary schools throughout Somalia/land.

 

[ThePrince]

Great book. It should be mandatory reading in secondary schools throughout Somalia/land.

I agree. However, unfortunately, the trend is toward either sweeping these events under the rug or promoting an erroneous version of them. I don't believe the country will heal and move forward until there is an honest discussion about these events.

 

[Duchess]

I agree. However, unfortunately, the trend is toward either sweeping these events under the rug or promoting an erroneous version of them. I don't believe the country will heal and move forward until there is an honest discussion about these events.

I agree. True reconciliation can not occur without open and honest discussions about our history but unfortunately most Somalis are not interested in this. The civil war never ended and will not end until this occurs.

 

[TekNiKo]

This women is married to dhabayaco man, its bias and paints the regime as murderous and ruthless, I might buy it for toiletpaper of course.

 

[ThePrince]

TekNiko, she is not married to a Somali. Also, while she is critical of the regime of MSB, her criticism is based on well-documented allegations that cannot be denied. Besides MSB, she is even more critical of groups such as USC and SNM.

 

[Duchess]

This women is married to dhabayaco man, its bias and paints the regime as murderous and ruthless, I might buy it for toiletpaper of course.

If you haven't read the book then don't bother commenting with your rumors.

 

[Southsidemj1]

Why do we need cadaan to tell us what between us? Its like when people qoute cadaan writers when talking about dervishes

 

[ThePrince]

Why do we need cadaan to tell us what between us? Its like when people qoute cadaan writers when talking about dervishes

If a Somali person wrote this book, they would be automatically accused of bias and promoting a clan agenda.
At least a non-Somali has the shield of outsider impartiality. And although she is not a Somali, she did consult with reputable Somali academics and conduct extensive interviews with Somali people.

Personally, I don't care about the ethnicity of the author. I don't judge books by the race or ethnicity of the people who wrote them, but the quality of their arguments as backed up by evidence and logical analysis.

 

[syntax]

Half price on Canadian Amazon. Just ordered it

 

[Freebandz]

Like someone already mentioned this book is anti siyaad barre is as if mj wrote itIf someone like to hear the unbiased story hit up my pm

 

[RoyalSomali]

AUN