Salamati Civil War

Salamati Civil War
Tank in a street of Dar Al Hamma, 1994.
Date April 10th, 1993 – January 29th, 1999 (5 years, 9 months, 2 weeks and 5 days) Location Salamat Result Victory of governmental forces Dissolution of the terrorist groups
Belligerents
Salamat Supported by : Gassasinia Khirmania Kakland The Vanna	Armed Islamic Movement (AIM) Armed Islamic Group (AIG) Jama'at Lilda'wat 'Ala Tariq Al Salaf Wal Islam Jama'at Alinqadh Al Islami fi Salamat Majmu'at Al Shuhada Al Islam (dissolved in 1997) Supported by :	Ankur Autodetermination Movement (until July 11, 1997) Supported by : Kakland (Monarchists)
Commanders and leaders
Mohammed Jandubi Malik Khayri  † Amine Benbahlil Abdallah Khalifun Al Massajat Janub Mohamed Al Jumiyin Hafidh Qaddiri Moussa Wahibi Hakim Lamine Khamim	Mohammed Al Mahdi Al Haqqum  † Malik Al Warae Al Salaf Abdelmalek Huqmi  † Michal An Najm Al Wahhab  † Anwar Khuliq Habib Al Muhayni Samir Al Wahhab  †	Khadim Nasser  † Amir Khaymi
Strength
320 000 men 200 000 men (in 1995) 120 000 men in local militias	7 000 men (in 1994) 60 000 men(in 1995) 12 000 men (in 1998)	12 400 men (in 1995)
Casualties and losses
45 000 military deaths, 125 000 civilian deaths, 60 000 refugees	12 000 deaths (estimated)	3 000 deaths

The Salamati Civil War was a conflict opposing the Salamati government, islamist groups and Ankur independentists.

Context

The end of Kharrabi's socialist state

Salamat was an authoritarian state led by Jalil Al Kharrabi, which imposed himself to power on May 16 1977. In the late 80s however, his authority was weakening and the stability of the country dwindling ; the 1987-1991 Salamati famine, the lack of job and housing opportunities, the lack of political freedom, and international embargoes against the country weakened the country's economy (GDP decreased from 47.2 billion in 1985 to 40.7 billion in 1988) and the famine damaged infrastructures and prevented basic services (electricity, water supply, waste management) from functioning properly. At the same time, decreases in the oil barrel's price and cotton price per ton (respectively 25% and 34% of the country's budget in 1986) led the citizens to suffer from inflation, which would impact the country for over 15 years, and from external debts after massive loans granted from Riamo in February, May and October 1986. (The IMF would erase most of Salamat's debt in 1997).

Consequently, Salamatis grew angrier about their government, marked by harshness and political inertia, as well as a provocative behaviour diplomatically which had a negative strain on the Salamatis image, especially those living abroad (eg. Salamati business lootings in Riamo from 1982-1988). Youth unemployment (15% in 1980, 36% in 1985, 60% in 1990) became a fuel for popular protests, which became weekly by the spring of 1990. Kharrabi opened up to the rest of the world the same year, but it wasn't sufficient, as the problems remained and the youth grew more and more radicalized to islamist groups proning "jihad" against the "infidel" government of Salamat and the killing of the "apostate" Jalil Al Kharrabi, who defiled Islam before the rest of the world.

Kharrabi's demise and following political chaos

The January reforms of Kharrabi were imposed too late and he was deposed 2 weeks after by the Salamati Armed Forces, which also grew disobedient of Kharrabi, and which became the ruling political apparatus from now on. As an effort to appease tensions, political parties were legalized in October 1992 by Mohammed Jandubi, the army-appointed president of Salamat. Jandubi was assisted by Malik Khayri, the army-appointed prime minister (which will become president after the former's resignation) and a group of army officers named "The Group of 5" (Abdellah Zerki, Said Charef, Mohadi, Larbi Sahibi and Taha Salah)