Ethiopian Invasion of Somalia: Retaliation for “Conquest of Abyssinia”

[rudy-Diiriye]

In recompense for their long-standing alliance, the occupying Ethiopian forces handed over illicitly the power to the former assertive Somali warlords, now the devious vengeful TFG leaders. Surrounding by fervent clannish supporters, they immediately welded themselves inside the rusty presidential palaces of Mogadishu. Incompatible insurgents shell the palaces and the Ethiopian military camps day and night; they are insular tribelists, and indignant Islamists; each of them has its own immutable agenda: anarchism and Islamic state respectively. The Ethiopian Military were under orders to shell the residential neighborhoods of Mogadishu. The whole city was aflame. Hospitals were looted. Countless unarmed Somali civilians were killed accordingly. Thousands of Mogadishu’s long-time terror-stricken inhabitants were displaced and many other thousands are about to leave their homes for the recent vicious circle. Again, war crimes were [are] committed; likewise the past seventeen years, the Security Council, as usual, remains indifferent and unconcerned about the situation; no one was held accountable for what happened. Unprecedented ransom-detainees exchange became seemingly the major bribe for many TFG and Ethiopian officers; some say it could reach up to $3.000 to release loved ones from captivity. Political assassinations are under way from both sides. Furthermore, the greatest economic resources for the country, such as see ports and airports are formally or otherwise controlled by the Ethiopian officers. Militarily, the country is in the hands of General Gabra, while politically Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister, Seyoum Mesfin is the Trojan horse who puts the cart before the horse. Some well-informed analysts suggest that this is yet a new chapter of the Ethio-Somali conflict. The goal of this document, however, is to highlight how the present Ethiopian occupation in Somalia veritably relates to the age-old conflicts between the two nations. In addition, some integral solutions for the situation will be discussed.

 

A Brief look at Conquest of Abyssinia

 

Whether we call it “a proxy war” or not, Ethiopia’s recent invasion of Somalia was clear retaliation for Conquest of Abyssinia: The first major Ethio-Somali conflict in the 16th century where the Awdal Emirate army led by Imam Ahmed Gurey (The left-handed) defeated the entire Abyssinian armies, overran their country, and finally debilitated the extremely powerful Ethiopian Empire.

 

In 1527, Imam Ahmed Ibrahim (Gurey) revived the political power of Muslim Emarite of Awdal, which at that time stretching from Zeila to the eastern part of Hawash River, after many years of its reoccurring defeats on the hands of the Ethiopian Kings. This reviving campaign, however, was the beginning of a history that had been named as ‘The Conquest of Abyssinia’. Imam Ahmed organized a vast force from different Muslim tribes including many Somalis into well trained forces. In 1529 he won a decisive victory over the Abyssinians at the well-known battle of Shimbira Kore; 3000 soldiers from Somali tribes were killed in this battle alone. In 1535, Imam Ahmed controlled the south and central of Abyssinia for the first time in the Ethiopian history; he then invaded to the north (Tigrai mountain areas) and won again another decisive victory over the King’s army. This time, King Lebne Dengel became a hunted fugitive, hiding himself in those mountains and running from a mountain to another. After 15 years of conquering Abyssinia, Imam Ahmed was killed in 1543 near the Lake Tana by the son of King Lebne Dengel, Galawdeos and his aiding Portuguese army.

 

A Brief look at ****** War

 

The ****** War was the second major conflict between the Somali people and their historical rivals, the Ethiopians. It was the war Somalia believed it had to win, to bring back the Western portion of Somalia to its mainland as an opportunity to fulfill its promise and dream of greater Somalia. Knowing for sure, that her qualitative military superiority over Ethiopia’s weak and poorly trained army was certain, Somalia invaded Ogden in July 1977 with an assumption that, at least, it had secured the military aid and the political support it needed to win this war from one of the two supper powers at that time, the US. In addition, Somali government was also hoping from other western nations, including British government, which ceded ****** to Ethiopia, not long ago, to stand side by side with the Somali people. Somali military rulers, however, were either knowingly or unknowingly taking their decisions to go to the ****** war under a misapprehension that the western governments, particularly, the US would open its military arsenal to support the Somali forces if the Soviet Union militarily interferes the conflict in the Horn of Africa.

 

As expected, Somalia was left alone in the face of a forthcoming Warsaw storm, receiving incomparable military aid (to the extent of what Ethiopians were getting from the Soviet Union) from the US and other friends, including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, and the rich Arab Gulf countries, mainly Saudi Arabia.

 

Though the majority of the world was supportive to the Somali rights, Somalia lost the war politically and militarily on its final round. The entire western bloc gave a mild support to Somalia which was incomparable to the strong support Ethiopia received from Warsaw. Moreover, the main organization in Africa, OAU, sided with Ethiopia. Expectedly, Kenya also sided with Ethiopia, and even forced during the war an Egyptian cargo plane that was caring ammunitions and other military equipments to Somalia to land in Nairobi.

 

Thousands of civilians and uniformed armies, from both sides, lost their lives in that war. The two countries spent for the war millions of dollars that, if invested in basic services, such as education, health care, transport, and power supplies, could had benefited millions of people in both countries. Nonetheless, the war badly damaged the two countries’ infrastructures, and terrorized many civilians in both sides. I still remember, after 30 years, how Ethiopian air force with the help of Cuban pilots destroyed my small town in central Somalia; I was at that time seven years old, living in a small town bordering to the Somali region of ******. I had rushed to hide myself to save my live from the Ethiopian jet fighters that were hunting any moving human in and around the town; I had to share, perhaps, the pain that the young ******i children were experiencing after the Somali forces retreated from Western Somalia; many other Somali cities were similarly bombarded from the period between 1978 to mid 1980’s, including the town of Borama in the northwest of Somali republic which many school children were massacred by an Ethiopian air raid; that was a gruesome harrowing scene.

 

However, after 8 years of border clashes and air raids, a so-called peace accord was signed in late 80’s in Djibouti by the two military regimes, Gen. Mohamed S. Barre, Somali President and Col. Mengistu Haile Mariam, Ethiopian leader. We thought that we had finally secured a few years of peace and tranquility. But, this was the lull before the storm. The two regimes were secretly arming their opposition groups to each other. Somalia continued the military support to the Ethiopian rebels, mainly the TPLF of Meles Zeawi while Ethiopia redoubled weapons and ammunition supplies to the Somali functions, such as SSDF, SNM, SPM, and the USC; each of them had its own tribal ideology.

 

A Brief look at Conquest of Somalia

 

Heedless of the consequences, the incompetent and pervasive Islamic Courts rushed into the ground battle with the heavily equipped Ethiopian military to drive them out of the country. They viewed themselves as invincible forces. They were loath and paranoid about the Ethiopian presence in Somalia. However, it was manifest for Meles Zenawi that the ICU’s advance to Baidoa (Seat of TFG) was just a nifty opportunity to invade Somalia. Whenever the news from Baidoa hits the headline, he tells the world the next morning in a news conference that he is a pacifist and phlegmatic leader not a peevish one; and that he would only defend the TFG if attacked. Moreover, the Courts’ provocative words antagonized him as many pro-Ethiopians argue; “if he invades Mogadishu, we will invade Adis ababa.” An officious ICU military chief, Indho-cadde threatened. These words could act as catalyst for the war, but the Ethiopians were adamant to invade Somalia long before this questionable and rousing Indho-cadde’ speech. They were already in Punt-land, Somali-land, Gedo, Bay, and Bakol; and the only portions that they did not control were the south central regions, Mogadishu, and the port city of Kismayo.

 

After months of admonishing not to invade Somalia, on the Christmas Eve of 2006, Ethiopian tanks, for the first time, rolled in to the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Demoralizing millions of Somalis, they camped in the center of the Somali icon and dignity: The Ministry of Defense; once, the head quarter of the Somali military who defeated them on different occasions. This latest episode, however, brought disgrace and dismay on the entire Somali Nation. The Ethiopian flag had been waving up, ever since, on top of the building, while the national flag of our country was abysmally downgraded. It is a part of our history that we must not forget. I am sure that was an appalling moment for the majority of the Somali citizens to see it happen in front of their eyes while they can’t stop it; the news, however, rejoiced some of us who are reactionary, blind in tribalism, and believe in only their short-sighted ideas!

 

This is even worse; the most rapacious snooty TFG leader, Geedi, was in Addis-ababa; inside the so-called “Somali Embassy” to renounce our past history with Ethiopia. As the Ethiopian flag was still on top of the building, the Somali icon, the Ministry of Defense, he branded our praiseworthy struggle with Ethiopia as an “Artificial Misunderstanding”. We were all aghast to hear it. However, that was exactly what the enemy had been dreaming to achieve one day for the last six centuries.

 

Integral Solutions for the Somali Crisis

 

I believe that implementing the following recommendations are fundamental and necessary to regain Somalia’s long-lost peace:

 

I- Somalia needs benign receptive leaders; not boastful self-willed apathetic ones who do not concern the suffering of their people. These sincere leaders are not for sure the warlords who had been terrorizing Somali people for the last seventeen years. They should be elected by the people and they should be approachable all the time. They should lead the nation to the correct path; not astray.

 

II- Somalia clamors to curb the boundless tribalism which crumbled the country into cheap mini tribal states such as Punt-land, Somaliland, Jubbaland, Banadir land or any other newly purposed one, such as Makhirland. Somali people are one nation and their unity is obligatory and necessary. Any system for the country should be based on unity, sincerity, and qualification. Thus, any government built on tribalism is deemed a failure because a disease can not be a curer.

 

III- Somalia yearns for justice as one entitled a previous article. Somalia needs from the Security Council not to remain indifferent for the suffering of the Somali people. The Somali warlords should be brought to justice for the war crimes they committed against their own people. It is unfair to let the victimizer rule the Victim. So, justice must be served.

 

IV- Somalia demands from International Community to stop the double standard policy towards the conflict on the Horn of Africa. Somalia and Ethiopia had been hostile to each other for more than six centuries. The current Ethiopian invasion to Somalia is illegal and is viewed by the vast majority of the Somali people as an occupation; not liberation. Thus, Somalia demands Ethiopia out of the country.

 

V- Somalia demands that the opposition groups and the TFG leaders to stop the fighting and sit together at the peace table for real dialogue to form a unity Transitional Government which can transform the power to a qualified civil government. That will come only through an election - not through violence and fighting.

 

VI- Somalia demands from its people in Diaspora to be united as one nation, not divided for the reactionary ideology of Tribalism. Somalis in Diaspora should play a positive and constructive role for the interest of their people and their country.

 

VII- Finally, Somalia hopes that the governments around the world will seek their interests in Somalia through the Somali people, not through the historical enemy of Somalia. This is definitely a very sensitive case for the Somali people.

 

C/Rasaq H. Nuurre, Columbus, Ohio

http://www.alldalka.com/Ethiopian%20Invasion%20of%20Somalia.htm

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

it is what it is man

[rudy-Diiriye]

wat part got u lost?? may be i could break it down for yah.

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

no part got me lost my friend but I hear the martion invasion of earth is a Retaliation for “Conquest of mars” by the Americans and then the rassians, what do you think?

 

[ September 21, 2007, 07:42 AM: Message edited by: Naxar Nugaaleed ]

[Bokero]

This analysis I out there out… just to wild! You think thought to himself this ppl beat us in 14th century, now its payback… We Somalis and our fantasies does seize to amaze me!

 

The invasion of Somalia based squarely on current geo-political climate of “war terror” however misplaced that may be!

[Bokero]

This analysis is out there… just to wild! You think Males calculated on the bases that this ppl beat us in 14th century, now its payback time… We Somalis and our fantasies doesn’t seize to amaze!

 

Somali invasion was based squarely on current geo-political climate of “war terror” however misplaced that may be!

[Bokero]

This analysis is out there… just to wild! You think Males calculated on the bases that this ppl beat us in 14th century, now its payback time… We Somalis and our fantasies doesn’t seize to amaze!

 

Somali invasion was based squarely on current geo-political climate of “war terror” however misplaced that may be!

[xiinfaniin]

^^I second that!

 

Ethiopia is not an empire. Never has been one. It lacks both the natural stamina and material capacity to be one. Speaking of it in imperial terms is a widely misplaced characterization of what truly is an opportunistic despot regime representing a poor nation on the African hemisphere.

 

Waa la doogiye yaan la dacaroon~~

[Tahliil]

I don't think Meles's intention and inner drive has ever lacked that kind of malicious scheme....This whole conspiracy thing is part of that centuries old, recurring history of the horn and thus no matter how you tilt, it always is part of what motivates the Zenawis next door to invade a neighboring country.....and mind you the neighboring country has never been Kenya or Sudan but rather Somalia constantly since the dawn of the modern history...

 

I don't find that whole article the least bit conspiratorial…the war on terror is the means, the ride, the way, the instrument used to gain the goal bro…and to prove that you have 17 years of Ethiopian meddling in the Somalis affairs…I think the chances for Somalis to mend their broken house were plenty, the opportunities came more than once but they were externally sabotaged by the Tigrinian boys to fulfill their lust and dream of Somali conquest…

 

I am so sure that those Tigrinian boys on TV, with the expensive suits and the bling bling watches were never sitting by idly to see Somalia pull itself through from the debris…

[rudy-Diiriye]

rigth on the money tahliil...these days i am not really worried about amxaaro per say...but the lack of knowledge shown by the youth.

 

its so amazing these days how some of us dont even know the basics of somali xabaashi conflict.

[xiinfaniin]

^^^Here are the basics of Somali/Xabashi conflict.

 

Xabashis belong to a state with a very shaky foundation [far from the ambitious empire some suggested] consisting communities with diverging interests. And since Ethiopia transitioned from a crusade-like polity to an organized society/ state that got a lion share from the spoils of colonial wars in the Horn region, the Xabashis have been struggling to keep what they accidentally inherited intact. I say accidentally for the conquest of Muslim lands could not have been achieved without colonial powers bestowing their favors on the weak/roaming xabashis. After nearly a century of relative triumph, Ethiopia or the Xabashis as you put is still struggling to preserve the most basic component of ones nationhood, territorial integrity. Economically Ethiopia is a very poor country, and it’s ridiculously fragile in the political sense! It has an identity crisis----the emblem of the state does not reflect and at times it arrogantly leaves out majority of the subject it claims to represent! By any standard, Ethiopia is not an empire. It’s struggling for its existence in the sense it wants to safeguard the legacy of yesteryears colonial sketches for that’s what sat off its phony triumph. It’s they who have the most difficult predicament in this region, and I trust you know the quandary adeer!

 

Somalis, on the other hand, though not bestowed any favors by any colonial powers, have shown unparalleled resilience in their zeal to reverse the legacy of colonialism. They have refused to accept and indorse the arbitrary drawn borders. The current world order clearly attempted to put down Somali hopes and dreams yet as harsh as that might some times have been, the Somali persona still commands remarkable respect and clearly refused to wither away. Since the inception of the Somali republic two major wars have been fought between Somalis and the Xabashis. In both, Somalis armies defeated them quite handily. The Somali threat to Ethiopia’s contemporary identity is real and credible. The struggle is not between an Ethiopia empire and its hard-to-control nomad subjects as some misplaced grieves and wrongly expressed but genuine sentiments imply. Rather it’s between two major contending powers in the most delicate region in Africa. It is true one side of this dual is weak and wounded. But it’s insult to conclude that it’s down and out.

 

If you can digest that analysis and swallow that narrative of this conflict, then you could easily see that Somalia is not a colony of anyone! Admittedly today’s Somalia consists of desperate entities and clannish politics with no national consideration seem to dominate its political scene. But it’s not Ethiopia that caused it---it clearly exploited it. Rather it’s the chronic crisis of leadership that we’ve suffered that instigated our fall from grace. That without a doubt is the culprit of our civil wars and other ceaseless sufferings that our poor people continue to be ill with. You can’t reasonably blame your foe for taking advantage of opportunities your internal implosion presented for it. Even worse you can’t promote the very enemy whose history you know and crown it with imperial laurels for merely capitalizing your internal weaknesses among other political opportunities time has presented to it in today’s global context. To me that’s quite thoughtless…really.

 

Now what should we do about this yaa Jamaacah? It’s my firm belief that Somalia’s problems will continue unless they comprehensively and strategically addressed. We need a paradigm shift in our thinking. We must halt our vengeance-driven attitude to our national crisis. We must realize that our problems are more than mere personalities. We must not let our raw emotions dictate our approaches and strategies in our efforts to restore the dignity and respect this nation once had. To that end, and if we are ever to realize our deepest wishes, we must remain flexible and be willing to settle our crisis through dialogue and peaceful means wherever it’s possible. Shun the absolutism :mad: ! See the perpetual wars for what they truly are: an opportunity for Ethiopia to solidify its influence on these gullible leaders, and consequently keep its foe down…

[rudy-Diiriye]

xiinoo! these days we only got 2 choices!

 

either be a slave of the amxaaro. or liberate ourselves.

 

and i firmly believe the correct choice is to free ourselves and to fight out of this hell hole.

 

i am willing! wat about u folks?

[xiinfaniin]

^^Here you’ve clearly resorted to the usage of cliché’s yaa rudy. Alas, and I was counting you amongst SOL’s straight shooters! That Ethiopia has unparalleled influence on our affairs is not a moot point here adeer---that’s undeniable as it’s sad and heart wrenching. Needlesly to say that i share the sentiment of Ethiopia being part of our problem. But i dont think it's that major when it comes to the root cause of the somali crisis.

 

 

Here let me try another go and ask you and like-minded folks this question. In what exactly do you think Somalia’s intractable problem lie?

 

a) Ethiopia’s meddling [having influence on our affairs]

b) Negative and chronic tribalism

c) Disputes on our meager resources

d) Crisis of leadership

e) Or is it the fact we are being colonized by Zenawi’s Ethiopia (as some seem to be suggesting here)

 

Pick one adeer out of these 5 possible answers . I already know which one it is in mind…I have given enough thought on this! I will share with you if you show some seriousness in wanting to know and shun from these empty slogans of Ethiopia enslaved this or colonized that...

[me]

B and D.

 

Ethiopia's meddling is only a symptome of tribalism and us not being united.

[xiinfaniin]

^^Waad haysaa yaa Me!

 

I would even go further and say tribalism, though always present in our physic with its potentiality to explode anytime, is a function of the leaders who preside maaraynta and maamulida danaha shacabkooda! Haddii hoggaanka sare hagaago rajada xabisani dabarkay goosanaysaa dadkuna kifaax dantoodu ku jirto buu geleyyaa…but without proper leadership I cant see any brighter future for Somalis.

 

It’s quite fitting to note that today’s news from Asmara was quite depressing. Characters without credentials or credibility whatsoever has been crowned to represent the legitimate struggle against Ethiopia’s meddling in our affairs. And sadly there goes our last hope to emerge from this tribulation with some sense of national cohesion and principled leadership…

 

 

Where's rudy? I want him back on this.