There is something about pastoralist nomads that makes them quite proud and war like, yes.
When the British ruled over British East Africa (Kenya) they used to frequently imprison Bantus, but they would only fine Somalis because they came to find out that Somalis had the odd habit of dying in solitary confinement and thus illiciting vengeance from their immediate kin. So to save them the trouble they just started fining Somalis.
I think it stem from the prestige imbued on warriors in nomadic culture, and the fact that military prowess was rewarded. Warfare always had been an important factor in relations with outsiders such as the Ethiopian Christians and the Oromo and even with other Somali clans.
The lack of modern weapons, however, prevented the Somalis from successfully resisting the imposition of European colonial rule.
Antagonists in inter-Somali conflicts generally belonged to groups bound by their commitment to pay or receive "diya" (blood money). Because the entire group would be considered responsible for paying diya to compensate for damages inflicted, and would receive diya for its own losses, a war would begin only with the unanimous approval of its likely participants. A meeting of the elders of the warring groups was the usual means of restoring peace. The elders would determine which group was responsible for starting the war and would decide compensation, usually camels, for damages incurred. The group judged responsible for starting the war normally would be the only one fined unless it emerged the victor.
In a jihad (holy war) against infidels and in most conflicts against non-Somalis, such rules would not apply.
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