Barre's Somalia - Part 2.

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Crypto-enthusiast, crypto-newbie. Bitcoin beginner. Political scientist. Conflict, war, no... [more]

3 years ago

In community: Open For All(cc80)

Topics: Politics, Somalia, Ethiopia, Mogadishu, War, ...

As I promised, today I present the second episode of the origins of the Somali civil war and what led to the current state of Somalia. If you haven't read Part 1 of my story, you can find it here: How everything started in Somalia? - Part 1.

So, in 1977, Somalia launched a military offensive in Ethiopia. Initially, the offensive found success. The Somali army controlled about 90% of the Ogaden region and the idea of Greater Somalia was within reach. Then, in a turn of events, somehow the Ethiopian Derg managed to convince the Soviets of their Marxist Leninist devotion. This presented Moscow with a dilemma of backing two allies against one another.

At first, the Soviets offered to negotiate a peace settlement, but Barre, the Somali leader, rejected the idea. Following Mogadishu's refusal, the Soviet Union seized their support to Somalia and instead started backing Ethiopia, whereas the United States conversely broke with Ethiopia and started supporting Somalia.

However, the American support which accounted to about 100 million dollars annually was dwarfed by the Soviet commitment. In total, Moscow provided military supplies worth up to seven billion dollars to Ethiopia. In addition, the Soviet Union sent advisors to the frontlines and encouraged Cuba to deploy some 16.000 troops in support of Addis Ababa.

The Soviet efforts proved to be decisive. A year later, the Somali army pulled back across the border and the Ogaden war had effectively seized and Ethiopia was saved from a major defeat, but its civil war continued and would ultimately claim the lives of 1.4 million people.

Meanwhile, the Ogaden war had taken an enormous toll on Somalia's military capabilities. About a third of the army had died fighting. Moreover, the economy collapsed and a refugee crisis took hold as ethnic Somalis from their war stricken Ogaden region fled to Somalia.

On top of everything, the lingering drought which began on the eve of the war had resulted in a famine that swept across the Horn of Africa. Regardless of ethnicity and believe, people were starving to death as Mogadishu's resources and capabilities were stretched thinly. Barre lost credibility and the public sentiment turned against him.

In other words, the conditions in Somalia were ripe for civil war. In the 1980s, the situation became critical. Discontented spread within the military and opposition groups were forming against Barre. As a countermeasure, he became increasingly totalitarian. He could only hold on to power by stamping out his rivals and threats.

One such rival was the Isaaq clan from the North. Barre sought to weaken the Isaaq by resettling Ogaden refugees on their territories. However, his plan backfired when the clan took up arms against him in 1988.

The Isaaq clan is one of the biggest clans in the Horn of Africa. It owns a large territory and a large population also. They are spread across the Northern part of Somalia, known as Somaliland, but also in some Somali region settlements from Ethiopia. They can also be found in Djibouti and Kenya.

In one of his most infamous acts, Barre ordered the bombardment of three main Isaaq cities, Hargeisa, Berbera and Burao. Between 50.000 and 100.000 people died. The massacre sent shockwaves throughout the country and it didn't take long before other clans were bailed as well.

Finally, in 1991, Barre fled Mogadishu. However, he left behind a country divided among clans and warlords who all competed to fill the vacuum of power. As violence escalated, state institutions disintegrated. The National Army and law enforcement agencies dissolved and the central government collapsed.

With no institution left to regain control, Somalia fell into total war. In the following years, the combination of competing clans, refugees and famine, led to a massive humanitarian crisis. Highly skilled and well-educated civilians, fled the country. As human capital flight peaked, as the resources to rebuild state institutions remained out of reach.

That's all for today folks. The third and the final episode will come live tomorrow. I will talk about the situation in Somalia after 1991, about the ongoing civil war and how the jihadi extremist movements came to power and transformed Somalia into a safe haven for foreign and regional separatists, terrorists, jihadists and warlords.

As a last remark, I recommend you to watch this video in order to see and understand how lovely was life in Somalia at the beginning of Barre's rule.