Constructive Resistance in Somali History
The Wind Before the Rain
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd
Publishing:21st Oct '25
£145.00
This title is due to be published on 21st October, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
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/
"Focusing on professionals rather than politicians as agents of social change, Tellander impressively combines oral testimonies, popular poetry, and rich cultural analysis to reconstruct the dramatic story of the 1981 Uffo protests which helped launch Somaliland on its path to independence a decade later. A compelling contribution to the comparative literature on non-violent resistance in the global south!"
Lee Cassanelli, Professor of History, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
"Constructive Resistance in Somali History deepens our understanding of agency and resistance through the stories of young professionals and students who challenged authoritarianism in Somalia. With theoretical rigour and meticulous research, Ebba Tellander reminds us that collective care is a necessary dimension of the political.”
Safia Aidid,Assistant Professor of History and African Studies, University of Toronto, Canada.
"Ebba Tellander provides a detailed, original, and elegantly told account of the Uffo protests in 1980s Hargeisa, Somaliland. Drawing on multiple interviews, the author ties the historiographical account to central theories of protest and resistance and to Somali poetry, offering a comprehensive analysis of how protest arose at this key moment in Somaliland's history."
Laura Hammond, Professor of Development Studies at SOAS, University of London, UK
ISBN: 9781032884813
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
232 pages