Of warlords and wordsmiths : journeying the Somali civil war through selected poetry

Abstract EN

Since mid-1980s, Somalia has experienced a long period of instability and chaos characterized by a brutal civil war.

This paper focuses on some literary representations of the Somali civil war, in selected Somali poets, which shed light on Somalis’ experiences and struggles in the civil war era.

These poems reflect on how contemporary Somali poets have attempted to better understand and counter the effects of war, and delve into the intricate and complex nature of the civil war including its effects on Somalis such as loss of relatives, exile and destruction.

These works do not restrict the war to images of bloodshed but also provide images of Somalis who strive to confront the violence and look forward to a peaceful Somalia.

As they historicize the war, these poems achieve a cathartic effect, by which writers and readers cleanse themselves from distress, pain and loss of hope