Disarmament in Somalia After two decades of violence and civil war ( which began in 1986 ) and after the Transitional Federal Government ( TFG ) of Somalia captured Mogadishu and Kismayo , the TFG attempted to disarm the militia s of the country in late 2006 . According to the UN / World Bank ' s Joint Needs Assessment ( JNA ) coordination secretariat , " the total estimated number of militias [ militia members ] to be demobilized is 53 , 000 . " In 2005 , they estimated that " there are 11 - 15 , 000 militia people controlling Mogadishu ( out of national estimates ranging from 50 , 000 to 200 , 000 ) . " Past Efforts . Since the 1991 war , there have been over a dozen attempts to bring an end to the Somali Civil War . They were often shoaled by warlords and inter - clan rivalries . Recent Efforts . 2006 Islamic Courts Union . In 2006 , the Islamic Courts Union ( ICU ) attempted to disarm the secular warlords — a contentious issue which led to the Second Battle of Mogadishu . The Islamist victory resulted in the routing or forced surrender of many warlords and their caches of arms , and the rapid rise of the Islamic Courts Union . By late 2006 , their attempts to disarm the secular militias and their consolidation of power pitted them also against the Transitional Federal Government . The ICU attempted to curb the private possession of weapons , closing down the infamous Mogadishu arms market , and impounding or appropriating technicals for use solely by the Islamic Courts forces : We were skeptical , but everyone we have spoken to since – doctors , teachers , journalists , shopkeepers – has talked of a city transformed . Gone are the ubiquitous checkpoints where the warlords ’ militias killed , extorted and stole . Gone are their technicals , Jeeps with heavy machine guns mounted on the back . The infamous Bakaro arms markets has been closed . The only guns and technicals now are those of the Sharia courts enforcers , and the reports of violence in the papers were of the Ipswich murders . Many Somali warlords , along with the nation of Ethiopia , sided with the TFG against the ICU . Once the momentous battles were concluded in December 2006 , the TFG proceeded with its plans to bring a general disarmament of the nation and closure to the Somali Civil War . December 2006 . On December 29 , 2006 , Mohamed Qanyare , a Mogadishu warlord , returned to the city and made a plea for the federal government to not disarm the militias . Qanyare was former TFG Security Minister before losing his position as a result of the Second Battle of Mogadishu . On December 31 , surrounded in headquarters compound by a dozen technicals , he claimed to have 1 , 500 men under his command , and asserted government control over Mogadishu was an illusion , owed to the military might of Ethiopia . Ghedi ' s decree for disarmament also applied to non - government troops in the autonomous state of Puntland , where it was seen as questionably enforceable . January 2007 . Announcement of weapons collections and amnesty . On January 1 , 2007 , Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi announced " The warlord era in Mogadishu is now over . " He said all civilian groups and businesses would have three days to disarm and turn their weapons in to the government . Technicals were to be brought to the old port in Mogadishu . All collected arms would be registered at Villa Somalia . Villa Baidoa was also mentioned as an arms collection point . An amnesty to Islamists was also extended . Ghedi also made an appeal for international aid efforts to continue , and for the establishment of a peacekeeping force ( see IGASOM ) . On January 2 , Prime Minister Ghedi met with leaders of the Ayr subclan of the Habar - Gidir clan , a branch of the Hawiye tribe , to reassure the subclan regarding disarmament and to establish how they would work with the TFG . They had been supporters of the ICU . Abdi Qeybdid called for restoring peace and stability in the country . He asked that no reprisals be taken against the Islamists , and said he is not interested in getting back the battle wagons he had lost in the conflict , but hoped they were turned over to the government . On January 3 , Police Commander Ali Mohamed Hassan Loyan , who has only 1 , 000 officers under his command , admitted he was vastly outgunned : " I cannot say there is a viable police operation in Mogadishu . " Meanwhile , the infamous Bakaara Market had re - opened and was doing brisk business . Two other warlords , including MP Mohamed Qanyare Afrah and his ally Abdi " Waal " Nur Siad , questioned the government plan for a weapons turn - over without a plan for the protection of politicians . A group of 20 militia turned in their weapons , along with a machine gun mounted technical , in hopes of joining the newly forming army . On January 4 , government and Ethiopian forces began disarming residents of Jilib following an attack which killed two soldiers and wounded two others . In Mogadishu , TFG militias set up checkpoints in the city . At one checkpoint , a group of militia apparently attempted to extort money from the driver of an oil tanker truck . In the ensuing argument , a rocket was fired at the vehicle , injuring at least 2 or 3 people . The vehicle had been carrying dozens of passengers who disembarked before the rocket attack . On January 5 , 1 , 000 soldiers from Puntland traveled to Mogadishu to help in the disarmament of the capital . In Jilib Marka , Lower Shabelle , at least four people were killed in inter - militia fighting ; two other militia and two civilians were wounded . Riots in Mogadishu . On January 6 , a crowd of more than 100 rioters gathered near Tarabunka square in Mogadishu . They protested the presence of Ethiopian troops as well as the plans to disarm the populace . Prime Minister Ghedi issused a decision to postpone the disarmament for an indefinite amount of time . At least seven were injured as police fired shots to disburse demonstrations around the city . Agreement to Disarm . On January 12 , the same day as the Battle of Ras Kamboni ended , Somali warlords tentatively agreed with President Abdullahi Yusuf to disarm their militias and to direct their members to apply to join the national army or police forces . An estimated 20 , 000 militia were said to exist throughout Somalia . Mohamed Qanyare Afrah said the clans were " fed up " with militias and agreed to disarm his own men . Muse Sudi Yalahow was less conciliatory . Meanwhile , even as the meeting was taking place , fighting outside Villa Somalia killed seven people . The members of government and warlords present for the meeting included the following individuals : Martial law declared . On January 13 the Transitional Federal Parliament ( TFP ) , by a count of 154 - to - 2 , voted to give the President the power to declare martial law to restore order . Yet on the same day , 9 people were reported killed in fighting in Biyo - Adde in central Somalia . Prime Minister Gedi first stated that martial law would be declared on December 29 , 2006 ; parliament ' s vote vested the government with the proper legal authority . Given their new powers , on January 15 , 2007 , the TFG closed the radio stations for Shabelle Radio , Horn Afrik , IQK , and the television station Al - Jazeera in Mogadishu . The ban was lifted a day later . Warlords turn in arms . On January 17 , 2007 , Mohamed Qanyare and Muse Sudi Yalahow were the first warlords of Mogadishu to disarm , turning over their weapons and committing their militiamen to the government , though some of Sudi ' s arms remained in other locations controlled by Qanyare and Mohammed Dhere . Approximately 60 technical s and 600 soldier ' s weapons were turned in to the government , including two technicals turned in by Interior Minister Hussein Mohammed Farah Aidid . The arms were accepted by the chief commander of the government army , General Naji . Call for National Reconciliation Conference . On January 30 , 2007 , President Yusuf called for a new national reconciliation conference to be held within three weeks . In related news , a commitment for 4 , 000 peacekeepers had been made by the AU , and the search continued for another 4 , 000 to constitute the full planned contingent . Eventually , the 2007 Somali National Reconciliation Conference was called on 2007 - 03 - 01 to begin on 16 April 2007 .