After the overthrow of Somalia’s Siad Barre regime in 1991, the country descended into inter-clan fighting, divided along lines that had been inflamed by the president in his last years in office. More than ten different factions fought for control of the country. An internationally recognized transitional government was introduced in 2004, but warfare between UN-backed troops and rebel factions, including al Qaeda and ISIL, continues to this day. The conflict in Somalia has driven a massive wave of emigration from the country. There are large Somali immigrant communities in countries around the world, including about 85,000 in the United States. More than a quarter of U.S. Somalis live in Minnesota.
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