Somalia defeat in 1978 and Siad Barre

[somalia1]

I have believe we lost because we did very little planning and never took seriously any what-if scenerios that could arise, and did.

But Somalia was winning the war until 1978,Somalia captured 90% of the Western Somalia,That was a huge victory for Barre,the things changed when cubans and russians came to the battlefield.I think the somalis fought bravely but they could not defeat 3 armies(Cuba,Ethiopia,Yemen),and these armies had the russian support.

 

Dont forget Jimmy Carter betrayed Barre,that was a blow to Somalia.

 

About the somali casualties,look at this:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/******_War

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

 

 

And do you know any somali books about the war in 1977?

 

Perhaps some somali generals or soldiers wrote something about that war.

 

Mohamed Farah Aidid wrote a book about his life and the war.

 

He was the only somali general who was not defeated in 1977-78.

 

Thanks you very much for you answer,it is very interesting.As I told you before,I live in Peru,I am a cuban,my father met somalis in Cuba,dont forget Cuba and Somalia were allies until 1977.

 

I would like to talk to more somalis who fought in 1977,If you know someone who was there,we can talk here.

[somalia1]

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.

[Malika]

Kan naguu aasa saaqee tolow muxuu yahay?

[nuune]

^^^ Wuxuu soo cuneey jaadka loo yaqaano daba-musbaar

[somalia1]

I dont speak somali,so talk to me in English.

[Juje]

Originally posted by somalia1:

I dont speak somali,so talk to me in English.

And yet you have twiced asked for Somali books that talk about the 77 War.

Saxiibo something does not make sense in your enquirey - there is more than just the search of information for this period that is pushing you.

[RedSea]

"somali" this is all you need to know.

 

Somalia's military couldn't have been defeated by Ethiopians and their the 15 thousand additional cuban troops, The Southern Yemenis and the Russian advisors and what have you. had there been no internal frictions, and if the supply-lines were not over extended, and finally the military wasn't in bad shape due to months of fighting into deep hostile territory.

 

You're talking about a force that has been fighting for months, was deep in ethiopian terrirotry, low morales due to government friction back home. With all those factors, the defeat of the somali army was imminent. Their spirit and iron determination was the source of their fighting at the end. They had nothing else.

 

Our forces did their job by crushing their oppostion in stuning fashion, leaving the EThiopians fearing for their lives in their own capital. That my friend cannot be said was a military defeat. However the factors that I had mentioned were due to the failure to put the finishing touches on complete control of the Okaden.

[somalia1]

Ok thanks you very much for the answer but let me show you the opinion of a somali writer Abdi Samantar about the war in 1977.

 

The article is very interesting:

 

http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/cgi/viewconte nt.cgi?article=1045&context=bildhaan

 

 

The liberation movement in Somali Ethiopia

reached it zenith in 1977–78, when the military government in

Mogadishu committed its forces to “assist” the struggle. The liberation

movement had no autonomy from the Somali national army in this

effort. Nonetheless, the Somali Ethiopian population supported the

war despite the stranglehold. Somali successes were temporary once

the Soviet, Cuban, and Yemeni contingents intervened and helped

Ethiopian troops beat the Somali army. This defeat was 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.

[somalia1]

Red Sea

 

That my friend cannot be said was a military defeat

Well,perhaps Somalia defeated Ethiopia in 1977 but the things changed in 1978,When Mengistu received cuban and russian help,somali army was not match for those countries.

 

 

Look at this somali writer:

 

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.

I like this sentence: "Yes, but the lesson was in Russian, not in Amharic”.

 

He forgot something,the lesson was in russian and spanish.

 

Another somali source:

 

http://wardheernews.com/articles_07/June/17_Glory_ to_Gloom_Osman_Hassan.html

 

It was this embargo, more than anything else, and the shipment of billions of dollars worth of Soviet arms s to Ethiopia, together with over 40,000 Cuban soldiers, that overwhelmingly tipped the balance of power in Ethiopia’s favour. That reality persuaded Siyad Barre to cut his losses and withdraw his army from the ****** or face a certain defeat entailing incalculable consequences

was certainly a political defeat for Somalia to the extent that it was not able to hold on to the territory in the face of the overwhelming military odds it faced. Ethiopia did not defeat the Somali army in any battle but recovered the territory on the back of the massive military help from USSR and its Cuban ally, and to the concomitant arms embargo imposed on Somalia.

[Geel_jire]

^ so you are proud of the fact .. that Cuba did NOT beat Somalia in that war .. but was holding the pom-poms for the Russians ? sheeeesh where is your pride man ?

 

let me ask you a hypothetical question: do you think that Cuba could have stood up against the might of the Somali national army without hiding behind the skirts of mother Russia ?

[somalia1]

Hi Geel.

 

Geel

 

that Cuba did NOT beat Somalia in that war

Well that is false,Somalia was defeated by Russia,Cuba,Ethiopia and Yemen in 1978,everybody knows that,please check out the opinion of Abdi Samantar about the outcome of the war.It is above.

 

Geel

 

do you think that Cuba could have stood up against the might of the Somali national army without hiding behind the skirts of mother Russia

Well I dont know that,perhaps Somalia could win the war or perhaps Somalia could lose it,I dont know that.

 

But the reality was the next one:Somalia was defeated by Ethiopia and it had Russian,Cuban and South Yemen support,period.

 

That is the reality and you have to accept it,because nobody can change the history,even God.

[Cara.]

Put it this way:

 

It took not one, not two, not three, but FOUR armies from all corners of the world (Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas) to beat Somalia.

 

Not bad at all

[somalia1]

Well the armies which beaten Somalia were 3:Ethiopian,Cubans and Yemenis.The russians only sent advisers.

 

Dont forget the israeli(Israel) pilots who destroyed many somali migs.

 

Look at this article about the war:

 

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

[somalia1]

But I have to say something

 

Ethiopia defeated Somalia because Ethiopia had cuban and russian support without this help,Somalia could win the war.

[Cara.]

My bad. I meant Somalia's army was finally defeated by FOUR armies with the assistance of 2 or more superpowers.

 

Has anyone ever told you that you are a few fries short of a Happy Meal?