Abstract

This paper intends to look at the effects of Somali armed conflict on the East African Sub-region. The objective of this article is to examine the economic and political instability caused by the conflict in Somalia. This paper views economic hardship as one of the primary sources of the Somali armed conflicts. The Somali armed conflict strongly supports the “greed to grievance” assumption. At the level of individual gunmen, a fundamental and dangerous living was eked out through looting and extortion; for top warlords and their financial backers.  

Key words: Armed conflict, war, deprivation, divide, insurgency, insecurity.