Resource conflict and militant Islamism in the Golis Mountains in northern Somalia (2006–2013)

Abstract

The conflict around Galgala, a small town in the Golis Mountains west of Bosaso in northern Somalia, poses the government of Puntland against clan militias and militant Islamists. The conflict was originally over natural resources, but soon turned into a conflict related to the ‘global war on terrorism’. It is additionally complicated due to its location in the contested borderlands between Somaliland and Puntland. The article analyses the effects of these dynamics on the local population and, more generally, on stability and peace in the region. It argues that sustainable solutions to the ongoing conflict can only be found if one takes into account the legitimate claims of the Warsangeli, the clan to which the local mountain dwellers belong, regarding the protection of their land and their resources. The anti-terrorism discourse that is currently foregrounded, mainly by the government of Puntland and its allies including the USA, is likely to inhibit the understanding of issues at stake.