Somalia defeat in 1978 and Siad Barre

[somalia1]

I would like to talk about this war,I think Somalia defeated Ethiopia but at the end Somalia was defeated by Cubans and Russians.

 

http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Editor ial_29/Somalia_October_21_and_the_beginning_of_his tory_s_dark_chapter.shtml

 

Gen. Barre lost the war after a congregation of enemy forces – Soviet, Cuban and South Yemeni troops – aided the defeated army of Ethiopia in pushing back Somali forces

[ElPunto]

Correct. But not anticipating what your enemy will do is not exactly correct battle planning. Besides - this war was more of an adventure to bleed the army and distract from domestic failures a la Sadaam and the Kuwaiti invasion in 91.

[Centurion]

Nevertheless the victories were sweet while they lasted. But thePoint has it right, it was primarily to distract people from the economic and political stagnation at home, and of course boost his popularity.

 

[somalia1]

Well I think Siad Barre saw the oportunity to defeat Ethiopia because it was very weak in 1977.

 

Siad Barre could win the 1977 War but cuban and russians betrayed him and then Somalia was defeated.

 

I heard Yusuf sent secrets to Ethiopia.

 

Is this true?

 

A web about 1977-78 War

 

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_188.sht ml

 

A somali tell us his point of view.

 

http://wardheernews.com/articles/june/7_somali%20h istory_Geeldoon.htm

 

After our defeat – we prefer to call it withdrawal – an Ethiopian colleague said to me jokingly, “ Ismail, we taught you Somalis a lesson” and I replied to him, also jokingly, “Yes, but the lesson was in Russian, not in Amharic”. He looked at me and simply walked away.

[somalia1]

I would like to know opinions about Ethio-Somali War in 1977.

 

Why Somalia lost the war?

 

I would like to write a small book about this war.

[ElPunto]

Centurion - that article reads like it's from another era. Really quite fascinating.

 

It was not an intelligent war. There was no way Somalia was gonna hold on to all that territory even without the Cuban/Russian intervention. When Somalia is in a strong position - then it can regain its lost territories.

[Fabregas]

Bro, Somalia wasn't defeated din 1977. That is historical revisionism. It was a tactical withdrawal for a thirty year period.

[somalia1]

B.G: It was a tactical withdrawal for a thirty year period

 

Man that is very fun.That make any sense but let me show you the opinion of somalis about the war.

 

A "tactical withdrawal" and they lost 3/4 of tanks and 1/2 Air Force.

 

http://www.******.com/Special_Report.htm

 

At the end of it all, a massive refugee crisis existed and the Somali military, which was no match for Cuban armed troops and their Soviet puppet masters, was in shambles.

 

http://www.onlf.org/press_foreignRelations_jan2820 07.htm

 

Somalia sensing the budding struggle and sense of revival in the ****** struggle and the weaknesses of the regime in Addis Ababa hijacked the struggle and defeated easily the Ethiopian army and captured most of the ******. Cuban troops and Warsaw Pact pilots and aeroplanes defeated the Somali army and reinstated Ethiopian occupation in the ******

 

http://wardheernews.com/articles/june/7_somali%20h istory_Geeldoon.htm

 

Ali Samatar was privy to and a key player in all that happened behind the curtains in that crucial period when huge and more powerful forces were arrayed against us comprising Soviet generals and materiel as well as South Yemeni and Cuban forces beside the Ethiopians. After our defeat – we prefer to call it withdrawal – an Ethiopian colleague said to me jokingly, “ Ismail, we taught you Somalis a lesson” and I replied to him, also jokingly, “Yes, but the lesson was in Russian, not in Amharic”. He looked at me and simply walked away

 

Abdi Samantar:

 

 

http://www.sirclund.se/conference%20report%202004. pdf

 

 

Please read pag 226.

 

Somali successes

were momentary once the Soviets, Cubans, and Yemani contingents intervened and helped

Ethiopian troops beat the Somali army. This defeat has been catastrophic for Somalia and the

liberation movement. In Somalia an armed political power struggle among the elite ensued,

culminating in the state's collapse and in the country's disintegration in 1991.

 

 

I have more somali sources,even Nurrudin Farah the somali writer says the war was a defeat.

[somalia1]

Somali article about the war:

 

http://www.somalilandnet.com/somaliland_voice/opin ion/0130.shtml

 

Hussein Adam and Ali Jimale tell us the story of the war.

 

http://www.usip.org/pubs/peaceworks/pwks24.pdf

 

Please read pag 3

[somalia1]

Another source,Mr Galaydh

 

http://www.biyokulule.com/dr.%20galaydh.htm

 

The Somali forces, despite their decisive victories over the Ethiopians, were no match for the Soviet-directed and Cuban-led forces which broke through their defenses and captured Jigjig on March 5, 1978. There were no contingency plans: Siyaad Barre decided to withdraw his troops on March 9th [1978].

[Fabregas]

warya, ma somali ba tahay? maxad no cebayn?

 

Well, I wasn't alive during 77, nor is it my generation, so I don't particularly give a monkeys about the details. Let us focus on today.

[Chimera]

There was nothing weak about Ethiopia in 1977, the revolutionary entity Derg had by now allready consolidated it's power for a couple of years. Fact is the Somali army destroyed an enemy army that was much larger than itself. The Ethiopian army for years was nurtured by the United States and were their most important African client, there was nothing weak about the Ethiopian army in 77.

 

Within days the Somali army advanced 700km into Ethiopia and brought 350 000 sq km under Somali rule.[1] Just an example of how thoroughly the territory was secured by the Somali army can be seen from the projects initiated by the Somali government such as opening schools and hospitals in the O-gaden not long after the invasion. In that year of Somali rule the O-gaden probably saw more development than all of the years under Ethiopian rule combined

 

The Somali army advanced even further into non-Somali areas such Sidamo and Oromia. For two reasons; first reason was to create a buffer territory between Ethiopia and western Somalia. Second reason was the possibility of carving up Ethiopia and let it disintergrate so that it no longer would be a menace to Somalia

 

Siad barre on 13th of november made a big blunder when he gave the Soviet image on the international stage a terrible blow by kicking out 3000 soviets from Somalia through mega phones broadcasted on news channels around the world. This was considered a great insult to Soviet prestige as a similar embarrassing incident had happened in Egypt some years before which explains the Soviet reaction who before this incident were playing mediator. On the 23th of November the Soviet intervention began and billions in arms and 18 000 cubans troops were airlifted to Ethiopia. Mengistu knowing the Ethiopian army was completely destroyed by the Somali army sometime back had to draft a completely new army which was really nothing but a large militia army with no skills or experience. The cubans had to man the Tanks, be the Pilots and the Soviets were the advisors

 

The Somali army allready out of spare parts and running low on ammunition was now facing a Cuban army armed to the teeth and with advisors who knew everything about the Somali army since many of them were also advisors to the Somali army before they were ejected from Somalia. 1/2 of the Somali airforce was destroyed yes but not in action. They were destroyed while they were resting in their Hangars as the soviets had sabotaged the Somali radars before their departure but Somali fighter pilots on the other hand atleast had their kills in the air[2]. The Somali army suffered heavy casualties as did the Cuban army[3] but this was not the end of the Somali army as the number of soldiers increased from 30 000 to 60 000 after the incoporation of the new graduates from Somali military academies such as the Ahmed Gurey military academy

 

The Somali army was driven back and over a million of Somali and Oromo civilians fled to Somalia. Even the Cuban officers were schocked at this reaction since they were under the impression that these people were the same as the Ethiopian Amhara army they were assisting and would be greeted by them with cheers. The Cubans then saw first hand how much the Ethiopian militia men considered the Somalis and Oromos their fellow 'country men' when they started mass excutions and rapes.

 

Luis i've seen you gloat about the Soviet Intervention since 2006 on Somali-life.com but doesn't it bother you that your army assisted in helping a regime that was committing gross human rights violations on civilians? Doesn't it bother you that you are gloating about helping African Nazi's continue their oppression? I know that Fidel Castro considers the Cuban army's role in the O-gaden war his biggest mistake in Africa cause he was anti-Imperialism but supported the Ethiopian state which build on the principle of Imperialism.

 

The Soviet Intervention brought nothing but backwardness,destruction and famine to Ethiopia and later to Somalia. Fidel knows had he militarily assisted Somalia in the war or simply stayed out and supported diplomatically instead(since the Somali army allready had full controll and wouldn't need foreign support), he would have been seen as a heroic figure comparable to Che Guevera to the new states of Oromia, Sidamo, Afaria etc who through Somali help would have freed themselves from the Prison-state called Ethiopia and modern day Horn of Africa would have looked much better than the warzone it currently is.

 

btw your infamous on several forums for sending people dozens of private messages, don't send me pm's!

 

-[1] Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia pg 306

-[2] Ethiopia Land of the Lotus eaters pg 359

-[3] Cuban Leadership after Castro pg 20

[Fabregas]

^^lol, mid iso direy xalay. lol. ma SOmali ba?

[Chimera]

Maya wa ajanabi oo Dagaalka 77' ka waalay, labo sano hada uu ku socda saas.

[Ibtisam]

btw your infamous on several forums for sending people dozens of private messages, don't send me pm's!

, I nearly choked on my breakfast! LOL