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BLACK HAWKS RISING -
THE STORY OF AMISOMS SUCCESSFUL WAR
AGAINST SOMALI INSURGENTS, 2007-2014
Black Hawks Rising acknowledges the formation and
deployment of the African Union Mission to Somalia
(AMISOM) in March 2007.
Initially confined to peacekeeping within the Mogadishu
enclave, it transformed into a peacemaking mission. Many,
including the author, who predicted the mission was a failure
from the outset, gave it little chance of success. As a fighting
force, however, AMISOM took on the Somali insurgents in 2010,
expelled them from Central Mogadishu on Saturday, 6 August
2011, and expanded control of territory under the Somali
Government in the succeeding years to most of Somalia.
The opening chapters of the book take the reader behind the
scenes to highlight the inconsistent, and sometimes disastrous,
US policy in the Horn of Africa generally, and in Somalia
(specifically dating back to the Kennedy administration in the
early 1960s). Under President George Bush, the US strongly
and vigorously opposed deployment of regional African troops
in Somalia, instead sponsoring Somali factions to fight against
each other and, when that flopped, egged on Ethiopia to invade
Somalia in December 2006, which caused the rise of violent
insurgency that spilled across borders.
Young jihadists streamed from the heart of USA to fight the
invaders. To clean up the mess, the Bush administration finally
supported the deployment of regional troops. Black Hawks Rising
captures intimately the stories of the men and women who made
up AMISOM: their triumphs, setbacks and victories.
The spotlight focuses on the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces
(UPDF), whose Herculean efforts supported by Burundi National
Defence Forces (BNDF), and later the Kenya Defence Forces
(KDF), Forces Armees Djiboutiennes (FAD), Ethiopian National
Defence Forces (ENDF) and Republic of Sierra Leone Armed
Forces (RSLAF), were pivotal to the success of the mission. Their
dedication, professionalism, ideological commitment, hard work
and humanity turned Somalia from a wasted nation to one with
hope for peace, stability and a better future for the Somali people.
Like Heru, the Hawk-God of Ancient Egypt, AMISOMs new
breed of African peace-warriors have demonstrated the capacity
to work across borders regionally, continent-wide and globally
to help resolve conflicts whenever and wherever they arise -
protecting lives and property, and preventing genocides before
they happen. This look at a story thought to be already well
documented gives the reader access to another part of it, to date
little known.
Opiyo Oloya is an educator, researcher and published author.
His areas of interest include child-inducted soldiers; conflict and
war in Africa; regional, continental and global security; and
counter-terrorism and international affairs.
Author: Opiyo Oloya
Publisher: Helion and Company
Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-910777-69-5
Hardback: 286 pages with colour photos and maps
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