Somali Civil War (2009–present)

Rare card · No. 57957

The ongoing phase of the Somali Civil War began in 2009 and is concentrated in southern and central Somalia, primarily between the forces of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), assisted by African Union peacekeeping forces, and the Islamist militant group al-Shabaab, which pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2012. During the insurgency that followed the 2006 Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, al-Shabaab rose to prominence and made major territorial gains. Several weeks before the end of the military occupation, insurgents had seized most of the south and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was on the verge of collapse. In early 2009, Ethiopian troops withdrew from Somalia and former Islamic Courts Union leader Sharif Ahmed was elected president of the TFG, marking a new phase of the civil war. Al-Shabaab and allied Islamist groups continued fighting against the new TFG and the African Union mission (AMISOM) throughout 2009 and 2010, weakening the frail TFG further. By 2010, al-Shabaab...

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