Constructive Resistance in Somali History

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 is constructive, non-violent, and caring can spark collective action and change. In 1981–1982 in northern Somalia, doctors, teachers, and other professionals came together to restore a hospital and to volunteer in schools as acts of resistance towards state oppression. Their arrest sparked the first open street protests against Siad Barre’s dictatorship. It is an inspiring story in which collective acts of care and community mobilization ultimately led to societal change in an oppressive setting, in a region more known for its violence and fragmentation. The book takes the case further by combining theories in innovative ways, providing a compelling account of political socialization and non-violent civil resistance in repressive settings.

Richly supported with 19 illustrations, this important case study will be of interest to researchers working on African history, or politics and resistance studies more broadly. Readers can see a short film developed about the life stories of the Uffo group here: https://positivenegatives.org/story/transform/somaliland/