Constructive Resistance in Somali History: The Wind Before the Rain

In the 1980s, the arrests of a group of teachers, doctors, and other professionals triggered a wave of protests – the first open resistance against Siad Barre’s regime in northern Somalia – helping to pave the way for Somaliland’s self-declaration in 1991. This book provides an extensive analysis of that transformative moment, drawing on over 100 oral histories and archival materials, including trial protocols and political poetry.

This fascinating case study demonstrates how resistance that...