WSLF insurgency after 1977 war

[cubano]

I am interested in WSLF insurgency, because this guerrilla could defeat Ethiopia in 1977. I would like to know what happened to WSLF after 1985.

 

Did WSLF cease to be a serious military threat to Ethiopia after 1977 war?

 

[Old_Observer]

WSLF is the core of ESPDP the governing party of kililka. It united with 4 other Somali parties in ililka and formed ESPDP.

WSLF split first in two. One side who set program of fighting for the self determination of Somali people in Ethiopia, the core and base of the Somali people in Ethiopia is not in Mogadishu, but in Jigjiga.

The other side wanted to continue the old plan from Mogadishu with guerrila fighters from the region and other regions of Somalia. Basically minus regular army of Somalia.

lets call them WSLF1 and WSLF2.

WSLF1 had contacts and fighters from all clans and parts of the region and even in leadership positions was more representative of the people in general. It also had contacts with organizations no matter how small in the region.

WSLF2 was too tied to Mogadishu and since there was already problems in Mogadishu it became part of the problems and alignment of forces in Mogadishu.

WSLF1 had a conference in 1984 in which Ethiopian rebel organizatins were invited:

TPLF - Weyannie of Tigray province- still same name same general region

ATPLF- Weyannie of Afar-Tigray - joined with Sultan Ali Mirah led organization and is now APDO governing party Afar regional state

EPDM- which later became ANDM governing party of Amhara regional state (EPDM just like WSLF1 was split from EPRP)

 

WSLF1 at conclusion passed one very important resolution that shaped today's Ethiopia.

1. The Somali people can only be part of an Ethiopia that is federal

2. The Somali people can only be part of an Ethiopia that allows and respects full and complete autonomy of the Somali people

3. The Somali people can only be part of an Ethiopia that guarantees right of self determination up to and including the right of secession

This created immediate response from all corners in Ethiopia and Somalia:

In Somalia the government arrested activists and suspected leaders thought to be WSLF1

In the Somali region the effect was:

Unity of those: who wanted independent region to be a country of its own, who thought have more advantage in joining Djibouti after secession, who wanted to stay in Ethiopia and with self administration autonomy. Even some who later went to form ONLF had accepted this as steping stone better than directly working from Mogadishu.

Every rebel organization accepted and incorporated the proposal and the rest is history for Ethiopia. Even the Derg regime in Ehiopia attempted regional and autonomous administrations, but was too little too late and not the way people wanted.

As military threat was probably 4th or 5th to the Derg regime after TPLF, ATPLF, EPDM and OLF. What weakened WSLF1 military was Mogadishu is aginst it, Derg of course is agianst it and Djibouti can only support hidden absolutely secretly.

On its side were to be all rebellions and coup plots in Somalia except later USC that had closest contacts with Derg Regime, therefore can only be secretive.

There still is part of the region folks who single mindedly think the region should join Somalia, but is now very small and getting smaller and weaker, some even joining the autonomous government.

 

 

 

[Old_Observer]

What split WSLF? What split SALF (Somali Abo liberation Front)? Why UWSLF (United Western Somali liberation Front:WSLF1) was significant?

It is not an exaggeration to say that All Somalis have the wish will and ambition to have a country a joined territory. The question comes how to do it.

Bottom up or Top Down that is the essence of the split among Somalis everywhere.

TOP DOWN people:

They believe Mogadishu is centre and from there we can weaken Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti and now Somaliland and gather the flock under one flag, one country, one language, and one faith (politicians do not say this loudly). There are many groups, but ONLF is most visible of this people.

BOTTOM UP people:

They believe there should be many centers for now, they each succeed in their centers and influence countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti where the Somali people play the important role and unite these countries through economy where the Somali would be the most important link. To this end even the Somali refugees in the west or east need to be successful so can lobby for the people in the Horn on the ground.

Here the advantage is the TOP DOWN people can support the BOTTOM UP people by virtue of life has to go on. Otherwise the TOP DOWN people are sometimes very destructive, and since have failed in one attempt, due to the Somali culture are hard to convince, will not admit that their method is not adding to the success of the Somali people.

 

[Old_Observer]

Militarily WSLF1 was very significant. The way EPRDF captured the country and final days of Mengistu Regime are very telling.

For one EPRDF came to Addis Ababa not mainly from the North, but from East. Harer and areas were captured before Addis Ababa. Somalis the Derg had in prison A. Yusuf one of the prominent ones were freed.

Somali Democratic League one of the parties that went on to form ESPDP contributed significantly in organizing administrations where Derg regime had collapsed, doing underground work where Derg regime was still present, being link to fighter forces in the area and the people.

WSLF1 also prevented anrchy from those Somalis who wanted the region to split and each clan or side join what was happening in Somalia. This may have saved the kililka people from having a civil war reflection of what was happening in Somalia.

Remember kililka is a small reflection of the Somali people. One clan maybe big in kililka and fairly small in Somalia or vice versa, but all Somalis are represented and physically present in kililka.

 

 

[Old_Observer]

There is always some group that gets stuck in past history, some in nostalgia and some of their personal experiences of love and hate.

Otherwise all political organizations in kililka have for all puposes and practicality died. All are dead including ONLF.

People of the kilil for the most part are too focused now on Surviving the threat of draught and very critically not to miss even the little development happening in Ethiopia and Djibouti.

Food production, health, education and infrastructure are most important issues right now more than any politics. Right now any Somali politician who had not shown any interest on these objectives has no place in kililka. Being simply a politician, chief of area, even just simply Shiek is becoming thing of the past.

 

[cubano]

WSLF was not a serious threat to Ethiopia after 1977.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Somali_Liberation_Front

The Somali government subsequently forbade the WSLF and its leaders to use its territory to launch attacks into Ethiopia. By 1989 the WSLF had ceased to be an effective guerrilla organization within Ethiopia. Siad Barre's decision to restrict the WSLF, led to the exile of Yusuf Dheere in 1989 and to the formation of a WSLF splinter group, the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), whose headquarters were in Kuwait.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogaden_War

 

Following the withdrawal of the SNA, the WSLF continued their insurgency. By May 1980, the rebels, with the assistance of a small number of SNA soldiers who continued to help the guerrilla war, controlled a substantial region of the Ogaden. However, by 1981 the insurgents were reduced to sporadic hit-and-run attacks and were finally defeated. In addition, the WSLF and SALF were significantly weakened after the Ogaden War. The former was practically defunct by the late 1980s, with its splinter group, the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) operating from headquarters in Kuwait. Even though elements of the ONLF would later manage to slip back into the Ogaden, their actions had little impact

 

Ethiopian professor writes about Ethiopia’s policy of destabilizing Somalia

In addition, the WSLF and SALF were significantly weakened after the Ogaden War. The former was practically defunct by the late 1980s, with its splinter group, the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) operating from headquarters in Kuwait. Even though elements of the ONLF would later manage to slip back into the Ogaden, their actions had little impact

http://samaynta.com/index.php/2017/02/13/ethiopian-professor-writes-about-ethiopian-policy-of-destabilizing-somalia/

 

[Old_Observer]

cubano,

You may need to use more than one source for every major incident or year or name of organization. The internet is single person opinion for the most part. And you know how people write is just absolutes.

There were about 8 organizations at one time. ONLF was started by 6 leaders split from WSLF. SALF had Oromos in it.

Hopefully there will be development and there will be resource and capable educated folks in Kilil who can put it together for education of children. Now there is no time, resource or persons to do that. Diaspora are good for development works, not good for history documentation.

[cubano]

But I can not find sources that say WSLF was a serious threat to Ethiopia in 1985.

Check out this CIA document:

https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP91B00776R000300050020-2.pdf

The article says that Somalia has tried to resucitate WSLF with little success.

 

Another CIA memorandum:

https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP88T00792R000300040006-7.pdf

 

WSLF had declined because they dont have Somalia support. WSLF only has 1000 men.

 

[galbeedi]

1977,

Cubo candho dheer ma maqashay?

Shaqo yeelo , hanagu habsaamin. Taariikh beena wakhti uma haynee.

[cubano]

Why you talk to me in somali language if I dont understand somali.

[Old_Observer]

5 hours ago, cubano said:

But I can not find sources that say WSLF was a serious threat to Ethiopia in 1985.

Did you find that ONLF and other organizations were important/ As I said by 1985 the Somali people have been split into so many organizations. UWSLF, ONLF, SDL, SILF, its many of them.

History for political use is not good, history should be done by uninterested but knowing people. Hard to rely on those that are now in Mogadishu, Addis Ababa, Diaspora, Hargiesa, Garowe, Jigjiga..etc too much spinning.

For now the Somali people were one of the most important people that overthrew the Derg. That everybody agrees. Did they benrfit from it...question but the fact of their contribution is well accepted.

4 hours ago, galbeedi said:

Shaqo yeelo , hanagu habsaamin. Taariikh beena wakhti uma haynee.

That is what I would say too. Need to be written by persons who can analyse information and who have no direct interest to use it in politics. Should be written as history of people, not as leader or organizations. Need resources which will come in time, but not now.

 

[cubano]

For now the Somali people were one of the most important people that overthrew the Derg. That everybody agrees. Did they benrfit from it...question but the fact of their contribution is well accepted.

 

Derg was overthrew by TPLF, EPLF and OLF. Somali role was marginal.

 

Ethiopian Ethnic Federalism and Regional Autonomy: The Somali Test

by Abdi Ismail Samatar

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

"Although Somalis contributed significantly to the weakening of the Mengistu regime, the liberation movement was politically and militarily a spent force in 1991. Many Somali Ethiopians who had moved to Somalia since the early 1960s returned to Ethiopia after May 1991. Some of these were senior military leaders and political entrepreneurs, steeped in sectarian elite games"

 

"The Somali government and people supported both the Tigray People's
lLiberation Front (Meles Zenawi's group) and Eritrean Liberation
Front. BY militarily and diplomatically supporting these and by
keeping the pressure on Addis Ababa on the Somali front, the military
regime in Ethiopia was spread too thin to handle the multitude of
international liberation movement. This way the military regime was
weakened. The Somali government unfortunately weakened Western Somali
Liberation Front by not allowing it the kind of autonomy TPLF and ELF
had. When the time of reckoning came in Ethiopia, WSLF was weak and
insignificant"

 

 

 

 

[cubano]

OLD_OBSERVER:

"UWSLF, ONLF, SDL, SILF"

 

UWSLF ceased to exist in 2010 when they signed a peace agreement with Ethiopia. ONLF is still active in Ogaden.

I have never heard anything about SILF and SDL, could you tell me something about them.

 

[maakhiri1]

Oo, is cubano your co-worker?

Anyway, If there ever was WSLF??, instead of liberation the 1977 was more of annexation. and WSLF was fake shopfront, didn't exist. Somali army used to call themselves this group.

After the war,  there was nothing left as there was hadly any WSLF to start and Somali army withdrew.

From start I believe empowering and creating real  WSLF would have been more effective.

[cubano]

An interesting link about Somalis:

http://minorityrights.org/minorities/somalis/

 

The Ogaden region was ceded by the British government to Ethiopia in 1955 over protests by Ogadeni Somalis who felt greater political and cultural affinity with the nation of Somalia. The Somali irredentist movement in Ogaden peaked during the 1970s and declined after the defeat of Somali incursions. Disintegration of the state in Somalia in the late 1980s and early 1990s led many Somali organizations in Ogaden to reject irredentism and re-orient themselves towards Ethiopian political life. 

 

The search for an end to conflict in the Somali Regional State in Ethiopia

TOBIAS HAGMANN

 

Page 38

 

In its 30 years of existence, the evolution of the ONLF has been strikingly different from that of the ruling TPLF/EPRDF. While the latter evolved from an armed rebellion in Tigray to become the dominant political party that it is today in Ethiopia, the ONLF was at first a small, secretive diaspora organization with representatives in East Africa, the Arab Gulf States and Europe (1984–1991), then a political party in charge of the newly established SRS (1992–1994), and only after that, an armed opposition group (1994–2014)