The article titled “The Psychopolitics of Violence: Warlordism, Clan Mobilization, and the Making of the Somali Civil War”, authored by our PhD graduate Dr. Abdirashid Diriye Kalmoy, has been published in the TR indexed FSM Scholarly Studies Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences in June 2026.
The study examines the violence, power struggles, and state collapse that emerged during the Somali Civil War through the lens of warlordism. Following the collapse of Mohamed Siad Barre’s regime in 1991, state authority disintegrated, leading to the emergence of clan-based militias and warlords. The article discusses how these actors derive legitimacy through charismatic authority in Weberian terms, particularly in contexts where formal institutions have weakened or ceased to function.
Focusing on the mobilization of kinship networks and clan solidarities, the research analyzes the socio-political dynamics of Somalia’s civil war. Drawing on psychoanalytic theory and ethnographic fieldwork, it explores the emotional and symbolic dimensions of violence, authority, and belonging. Importantly, the study foregrounds the testimonies of former fighters, civilians, and survivors, granting them epistemic agency in narrating their lived experiences under warlord rule.
The article argues that the Somali civil war represents not only a political breakdown but also a complex transformation in which identity, power, and violence became deeply intertwined. In this regard, it provides significant theoretical and empirical insights into the psychosocial legacies of civil war.
We congratulate Dr. Abdirashid Diriye Kalmoy on this important academic achievement and wish him continued success in his scholarly work.
