Ethiopian-Somali conflict

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The Ethiopian-Somali conflict and tension has a background in territorial and political disputes. Animosity between Ethiopia and Somalia dates back a few centuries with wars and conflicts (see Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi). In recent years, those tensions caused two wars.

1 Historical background
2 History of Ethiopian intervention
- 2.1 2006 involvement
- 2.2 First clashes
3 Sources
4 External links

[edit] Historical background

A broader perspective shows many incidents of Ethiopian-Somali conflict. Boundary disputes over the Ogaden region date to the 1948 settlement when the land was granted to Ethiopia. Somali disgruntlement with this decision has led to repeated attempts to invade Ethiopia with the hopes of taking control of the Ogaden to create a Greater Somalia. This plan would have reunited the Somali people of the Ethiopian-controlled Ogaden with those living in the Republic of Somalia. Shy of that, ethnic and political tensions have caused cross-border clashes over the years.

1960-1964 Border Dispute
1977-1978 Ogaden War
1982 August Border Clash^[1]^[2]
1998-2000 Cross-border warfare during the chaotic warlord-led era.^[3]

Conflicts between Ethiopia and Somalia are of course not limited to the 20th-21st Centuries. Wars between Somalia, or its precursor Islamic states, and Ethiopia, stretch back to the 16th century. Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi was a 16th century Somali Islamic leader popular in Somali culture for his jihad against the Ethiopians during the rise of the Adal Sultanate (a multi-ethnic former vassal kingdom of Ethiopia).

Therefore, painful living history, oral and cultural traditions, long-standing ethnic divisions and sectarian differences lay between the two nations and fuel the conflict.

[edit] History of Ethiopian intervention

The first incursion by Ethiopian troops after the fall of the central Somali government took place in August 1996. In March 1999, Ethiopian troops reportedly raided the Somali border town of Balanballe in pursuit of members of the Al-Ittihad Al-Islamiya group which has been fighting to unite Ethiopia’s eastern Ogaden region with Somalia.^[4] Later, in April 1999 two Somali leaders, Ali Mahdi and Hussein Aideed, said in an official protest to the United Nations Security Council, that heavily-armed Ethiopian troops entered the towns of Beledhawo and Dolo on Friday, April 9, 1999. They further alleged that the Ethiopian troops had taken over the local administration and detained officials in the towns.^[5] In May 1999, Ethiopian soldiers, with the help of a pro-Ethiopian Somali faction occupied the town of Luq in southwestern Somalia, close to the borders with Ethiopia and Kenya. In late June 1999, Ethiopian soldiers, supported by armoured vehicles launched an attack from Luq that resulted in the capture the town of Garba Harre in the Gedo region, which was previously controlled by the Somali National Front lead by Hussein Aideed. The attack was apparently aimed at flushing out Ethiopian rebels based in Somalia. ^[6]

After the formation of the Transitional National Government (TNG) of Somalia in August 2000, Ethiopia at first did not recognize the interim government and reportedly continued its raids against Al-Ittihad and supporting various warlord factions, which lead to very strained relations between the Ethiopian government and the interim Somali government, characterized by accusations, denials and counter-accusations on both sides.

In January 2001, Somalia’s TNG Prime Minister, Ali Khalif Galaid, strongly accused Ethiopia of arming factions opposed to the government, occupying Somali districts and increasing its military presence in the country.^[7] He later claimed that Ethiopian soldiers had occupied towns in Somalia’s southwestern region, and had detained and intimidated its nationals; the Ethiopian government denied these charges.^[8]

Ethiopia has supported and is alleged to have supported a number of different Somali factions at one time or another. Among these are the Somali Reconstruction and Restoration Council (SRRC), Muse Sudi Yalahow, General Mohammed Said Hirsi Morgan (allied to the Somali Patriotic Movement or SPM), Hassan Mohamed Nur Shatigudud and his Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA) and Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed (former President of Puntland and current Somali TNG President). ^[9] A number of Somali warlord factions have also held meetings and formed loose alliances in Ethiopia. ^[10] ^[11]

Reports in early January, 2002 indicated that around 300 Ethiopian soldiers were deployed in Garowe (capital of Puntland) with other Ethiopian troops reportedly moving into the neighbouring Bay region and around Baidoa. The Ethiopian government denied these reports and accused the interim government of spreading “malicious lies” about Ethiopia’s policy towards Somalia.^[12]

Ethiopian soldiers again attacked and temporarily captured the border town of Beledhawo on Wednesday, May 15, 2002 with the help of the SRRC after the town had been captured by a rival militia. During the raid, the commander of the rival militia, Colonel Abdirizak Issak Bihi, was captured by the Ethiopian forces and taken across the border to Ethiopia. After the raid, control of the town was turned over to the SRRC. Earlier in May, Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed had retaken control of Puntland by ousting his rival Jama Ali Jama with the aid of the Ethiopian army. ^[13]

In February 2003, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, admitted that Ethiopian troops were occasionally sent into Somalia to battle the militant Islamist group, Al-Ittihad and stated that the group was linked to Al-Qaeda. He also claimed that Ethiopia’s government had lists of Al-Ittihad members who were, at the time, in the Transitional National Government and parliament of Somalia; a claim that TNG President Abdiqasim Salad Hassan has consistently denied.^[14] President Hassan has in turn, accused Ethiopia of destabilizing Somalia, interfering daily in Somali affairs and violating the arms embargo on Somalia by supplying weapons to warlords opposed to the Transitional Government at the time; Ethiopia denied these charges.^[15]

Although an attempt was made to improve relations between Ethiopia and the TNG in June 2001,^[16] relations only really improved in 2004 when Abdullahi Yusuf became the TNG President. Then Ethiopia reversed its position and began to support the interim government, especially against various Islamist militias in Somalia Spritgussvorlage, most recently the Islamic Courts Union.

[edit] 2006 involvement

Main article: War in Somalia (2006–present)

Ethiopian involvement in Somalia gained widespread public attention when Ethiopian troops moved into Somalian territory on July 20, 2006. Somalia's interim government was then resisting advances by the Islamic Courts Union forces north to the last unoccupied city of Baidoa.

A Somali Islamist leader has ordered a "jihad" to drive out Ethiopian troops, after they entered the country to protect the weak interim government, however, Sharia courts in Ethiopia condemned the ICU's declaration of holy war.^[17]

Ethiopia has been a long-term ally of President Abdullahi Yusuf and in the 1990s helped him defeat an Islamist militia led by Mr Aweys.

Ethiopian troops had reportedly moved into another town in south-western Somalia, two days after entering the country to protect the weak government.

Eyewitnesses say about 200 Ethiopian soldiers took control of the airstrip outside Waajid early on Saturday, July 22.^[18] Later reports indicate that Ethiopian soldiers have occupied Bardaale, 60 kilometers 40 miles west of Baidoa, the day after the ICU seized control of Kismayo on September 21.^[19]

[edit] First clashes

An exchange of mortar shells between Union of Islamic Courts and Ethiopian forces has occurred in Galkayo on November 28, 2006 where both Islamists and Ethiopian forces are facing off. Ethiopian and Islamist forces in Galkayo, central Somalia, were less than 5 km away from one another.^[20]

On November 30, 2006, an Ethiopian military convoy in Somalia was ambushed by fighters loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts. It happened on Tuesday 35km south-west of Baidoa, seat of the weak interim government, who deny it took place. Eyewitness said a truck was blown up and there was an exchange of fire. The UIC claim 20 Ethiopians died.^[21] Ethiopia's parliament voted the same day to let the government take "all necessary" steps to rebuff any invasion by Somalia's Islamists. "Parliament hereby authorizes the government to take all necessary and legal steps to stave off a declaration of holy war and invasion by the Union of Islamic Courts against the country," the resolution said.^[22]