United Somali Congress

Formed in 1989 by exiles of the Hawiye clan, the United Somalia Congress (USC) played a key role in the overthrow of Siad Barre’s regime. On January 27, 1991, it was USC militias that drove Barre from the capital of Mogadishu. While its initial goal was to free Somalia from Barre’s regime, the USC also planned to maintain a state of peace in Somalia. This goal was quickly revealed to be unattainable as the USC split into two factions after disputes over who should be named the next leader of Somalia: one led by General Mohamed Farah Aidid, and one led by Ali Mahdi Mohamed. As civil war raged in Somalia, Aidid’s failures as a statesman and politician meant that the USC could not reinstate peace or stability in Somalia. By 2001, the USC’s internal divisions meant that the militia was divided along clan lines, and the USC collapsed.