Southern Somali warlords reject peace because they profit from maintaining conflict

Evidence

It is not that people do not know how to make peace or reach political compromises, as some international organizations naively suppose; it is a matter of motivation. In the south, in the main and for the moment, the stakeholders (to use development jargon) have other objectives. The cost of peace and political settlement is estimated as too high by the scrap merchants who have risen to such prominence and manifestly want to retain, or increase, their economic and political status. Perhaps most importantly of all, the Habar Gidir colonizers of so much land and property in southern Somalia have little desire to return it to its previous owners. — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 709 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

This deteriorating situation jolted U.N.I.T.A.F. troops into patrolling more aggressively, disarming townsmen who were carrying weapons, and raiding the notorious arms market in Mogadishu. One of Aideed’s encampments was destroyed, and a contingent of Morgan’s militia attacked to prevent it seizing Kismayu. … Oakley attempted to counter criticism of his selective disarmament by saying that he was ‘bird plucking’, proceeding gradually, feather by feather. Dealing directly with the warlords, he seems to have felt that for all the formidable force at his disposal, they were by no means decisively quelled. On the contrary, indeed, despite the disparity in firepower, they appeared to believe that, as usual, they could manipulate external intervention to their advantage. — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 630 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Warlords ignored clan loyalty to their own president and rejected Arta; Foreign aid itself fueled conflict in southern Somalia — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 623; Southern Somalia’s warlords resist peace because conflict preserves their stolen gains. — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 709 (+1 more)

Related

• Southern Somalia’s warlords resist peace because conflict preserves their stolen gains. (similarity 0.92)
• Warlords believed they could manipulate outside intervention to their advantage (similarity 0.86)
• Foreign aid itself fueled conflict in southern Somalia (similarity 0.86)
• The UN abandoned clan elder empowerment in favor of warlord dealings. (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Southern Somalia’s warlords resist peace because conflict preserves their stolen gains. #corroborates (0.95) — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 709
• Warlords believed they could manipulate outside intervention to their advantage #expands (0.55) — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 630