The Somali Civil War Waving Flag original version

The Somali Civil War Waving Flag (original version) by K’naan i

Somali Civil War

THE SOMALI CIVIL WAR Is an armed conflict of warring clan lords that started in 1991 after dictator Siad Barre was overthrown from his position. Warring clan lords were fighting for power and authority as to who will govern Somalia. From 1991 – 2004 Somalia has no central government.

1988 THE SOMALI CIVIL WAR • First phase of civil war started when people begun to expel the dictator Siad Barre from the position. Siad Barre ruled the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969 - 1991 • Mogadishu was captured by rival clan militias and Siad Barre was overthrown from the position. • Power struggle occurred between warring clan lords, Mohamed Farah Aideed and Ali Mahdi Mohamed. • Somalia lacked a central government ever since.

1992 - 1993 • Severe humanitarian crises developed in the country. 300, 000 people died from famine on the first year of the civil war. • International community responded to help Somalia through the passing and approval of UN Security Council 794 Resolution is a two year humanitarian mission by UN peacekeepers and US troop in Somalia to ensure famine is lessen and peace was being establish in the country.

1994 -1995 • Withdrawal of US troops and the total withdrawal of the whole UN mission due to the massive killing of US soldiers during a street fight Mogadishu. 1996 • Warlord Mohamed Farah Aideed died and his son Hussein Mohamed Aideed continued his battle. 1998 • After seven years of fighting, war lords Ali Mohamed Mahdi and Hussein Mohamed Aided agreed to joint administration.

2000 -2001 • Clan leaders elected Abdulkassim Salat Hassan as president of Somalia. • Hassan appointed Ali Khalif Gelayadh as the new prime minister of Somalia, the first in the country since 1991. • War lords announced their intentions of forming a central government within six months opposing the transitional administration

2004 -2006 • In 14 th attempt since 1991 to restore central government, a new transitional parliament was inaugurated in Kenya where Abdullahi Yusuf was elected as president. § Deadly fighting between warring militias broke out in Mogadishu. § Islamic Courts Union seized control of southern Somalia and Mogadishu. Islamic Courts Union is a militia-backed rival government to the Transitional Federal Government.

2008 - present • Piracy boom. Somali pirates continuously hijacking cargo ships off the coast of Somali and asked for ransoms in exchange of the ships and the crews • A massive famine and drought was declared in Somali, where nearly 60% of the population are malnourished and killed thousands of children. • Heavy fighting and suicide bombing is continuously happening in the country.

K`naan Warsame

K’naan Warsame (“Traveler” in Somali) Is a Somali- Canadian rapper. He was born and grew up in Mogadishu, Somalia, just when the civil war in the country was beginning. He spent his childhood running away from death, and listening to hip-hop music that his father from America was sending him.

When he was 13, he and the rest of his family left Somalia, and stayed briefly with their relatives in Harlem before they move to Rexdale , Ontario, where there was a large Somali Community.

Waving Flag was an original song from K`naan`s 2 nd album, ``Troubadour``. It was a song written by K`naan from his own experiences of poverty, racism, as well as from his childhood experience during the civil war in Mogadishu, where in he and some of his childhood friends were attacked and fired by gunmen while playing.

Other versions of Waving Flag: The 2010 FIFA World Cup Version The song was selected as the anthem for 2010 premier soccer tournament, which made it the biggest hit song in the spring of 2010 The Haiti Version A reworked version sung by Young Canadian Artists to raise money for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

LINK: http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=g. Go 78 h. Vn. YFM

LYRICS MEANING Born to a throne, stronger than Rome But Violent prone, poor people zone But its my home, all I have known, Where I got grown, streets we would roam. Pertaining to Mogadishu, Somalia, which was considered as one of the world’s poorest country. It became a place of violence too since the start of the civil war, where people were running away for their lives.

LYRICS So we struggling, fighting to eat and We wondering when we’ll be free, So we patiently wait, for that fateful day, It’s not far away, so for now we say MEANING Famine Patiently hoping and waiting for the day that Somali will be free

LYRICS MEANING Chorus: When I get older, I will be stronger, They’ll call me freedom, just like a Waving Flag, And then it goes back, and then it goes back Symbol of freedom

LYRICS So many wars, settling scores, Bringing us promises, leaving us poor, I heard them say, love is the way, Love is the answer, that’s what they say MEANING The Somali Government made false promises to the people in exchange of their cooperation to join the military army.

LYRICS But look how they treat us, Make us believers, We fight their battles, then they deceive us, Try to control us, they couldn’t hold us, Cause we just move forward like Buffalo Soldiers MEANING Somali Government Buffalo soldiers members of the U. S. 10 th Calvary Regiment of the United States Army (wikipedia. org)

Buffalo soldiers Black soldiers who fight their battles with courage, honour, determination, and distinction in a field that was dominated by white without loosing their humanity

References: New World Encyclopedia. Somali Civil War, 05 May 2008. Web. 01 Mar 2012. http: //www. newworldencyclopedia. org/entry/somali_civil_war African Success. People changing the face of Africa. Biography of K’naan Warsame, 22 Nov 2008. Web. 01 Mar 2012. http: //www. africansuccess. org/visu. Fiche. php? id=611&lang=en BBC News Africa. Somalia Profile, 10 Feb 2012. Web. 06 Mar 2012. www. bbc. co. uk/news/world-africa-14094632 Annable Lee Hogg. The Atlantic. Timeline: Somalia, 1991 -2008. Web. 06 Mar 2012. www. theatlantic. com/magazine/archive/2008/12/timelinesomalia-1991 -2008/7190