The Burgess Boys

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism.

The Burgess Boys is set in a time and place loosely based in historical fact. In 1988, civil war broke out in Somalia when Nationalist groups challenged the nation’s president, Mohammad Siad Barre. Barre had seized power in a military coup in 1969, and his regime had become known for brutally suppressing opposition. Barre’s fall on January 27, 1991, led to increased conflict and in-fighting among Nationalist groups, various Islamic sects, and militia groups; many of these conflicts had roots in the 19th century, when Great Britain, France, Italy, and Ethiopia divided Somalia into five separate colonial possessions, splintering long-established kinship networks and fostering competition for resources. Establishing a central government after Barre’s fall proved difficult as rival groups fought for representation (“Somali Civil War.” The Organization for World Peace). Land disputes disrupted the food supply so that by 1992, much of Somalia suffered from famine.

After the outbreak of war in 1991, Somalis fled to nearby Kenya, where refugee camps were established. However, conditions in the camps were poor, and residents lived in fear of violence and robbery. Some sought asylum in the United States, leading to a secondary migration.