The Isaaq Genocide Overview

The Isaaq genocide refers to systematic killings and targeted repression of the Isaaq clan in northern Somalia during the late 1980s.

This campaign was primarily conducted by the Somali government under Siad Barre, aiming to suppress rebellion and opposition within the region then known as Somaliland.

Between 1987 and 1989, government forces launched extensive military operations, including aerial bombardments and mass executions, which led to tens of thousands of civilian casualties and widespread displacement.

The events have been recognized by scholars and international organizations as constituting acts of genocide due to their deliberate targeting of the Isaaq population based on clan identity.

These atrocities contributed to the eventual collapse of the Somali regime in 1991 and the declaration of independence by Somaliland.