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 Somalia: A Nation Victim of Foreign Intervention (Part I) By Zebib Asfaha
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The Horn of Africa, a region fraught with conflicts, still continues, shaken by ancient and modern conflicts. The turmoil in Somalia, the unsolved conflict between two neighboring countries- Eritrea and Ethiopia and Southern Sudan�s problem that took decades becomes a headache for all peace loving people. This short article is principally aimed to discuss the cause of the turmoil in Somalia.
The present situation of Somalia is not the result of the struggle between different contending groups and tribes but have its origin during the partition of this region both by European powers and Ethiopia.
In 1897 the representatives of the three European colonial powers, who controlled this region, namely Britain, France and Italy met with Ethiopia in Addis Ababa to delimit the boundaries of their respective territories.
Ethiopia�s agreement with Italy was concluded in 1896, with French and British Somaliland was completed in 1897. Regardless of these agreements, the boundaries were not demarcated. Nonetheless this was not the problem. After the independence of Somalia, the Somali government regarded the agreement on British Somaliland as null and void.
The region of the Somali people, who are divided into many tribes and clans, covers the entire coastal lowland of the Horn of Africa. Since most of the Somali people lead a nomadic life, the primary concern of the people is better grazing land. The need for better grazing areas caused migration of the people in all directions. As a result of searching these necessities of life, fighting between tribes was a common phenomenon. In Somali tradition, loyalty to the tribe is more important and there was no unity among the various tribes.
The need to unite Somali people gave birth to Somali nationalism which in turn led to the desire to bring all Somalis into a �Greater Somalia�. The origin of this can be traced back when Italy incorporated its occupied territories based on ethnic divisions as Italian East Africa which unwittingly planted the seed of Greater Somalia. The racist Italian administration has also played its part in the Somali nationalism.
Therefore from the very beginning of Somali independence, Somali government kept demanding the right of self-determination and the unity of Ethiopian Somalis, Kenyan Somalis and Djibouti�s Somalis (French Somaliland). Consequently, tension grew between these three countries (Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia) after Somalia�s denial of the existing colonial boundaries and its series of attacks on Kenyan security forces caused after Kenya�s refusal of accepting the demand for the secession of the Somali people residing in northeastern Kenya.
When in 1960 these tensions resulted in Somali and Ethiopian troops engaged in minor regional war along their common border that erupted in 1964, no one was surprised by the event. Even though this war was concluded by cease-fire, the conflict continued.
The Somali government used to give military and financial support to the armed struggle of western Ethiopia Somalis- who formed the Western Somali Liberation Front (WSLF), a politico-military organization made up of Ogaden Somalis with the ultimate goal of emancipating the Ogaden region from Ethiopian control. This support developed into full-scale military support in 1977, in which Somalia government�s soldiers overtly were involved in harassing Ethiopian forces combined with WSLF guerrilla fighters that escalated into a major war. In this war, called �Ogaden war,� Somalia enjoyed a short-lived victory by taking over the Ogaden region of Ethiopia.
Meanwhile the well-trained and disciplined Somali forces were defeated and this war was concluded by the victory of Ethiopia, who was supported by the Soviet Union and Cuba causing the largest refugee population in Somalia. In this volatile region, the two great powers- United States and Soviet Union�s intervention intensified the hitherto poisoned relations of Ethiopia and Somalia.
The Soviet Union, who was a staunch ally of Somalia until 1977, switched sides and broke its relation with Somalia-the first African country to sign a formal treaty of friendship, and allied itself with Ethiopia. Disappointed by the Soviet�s move, Somalia turned towards United States for friendship and support in the war against Ethiopia. Eventually after prolonged negotiations, Somalia trying to gain military support granted United States access to Berbera, a former Soviet military base, in return for radar and anti-aircraft equipment. Despite Somalia�s urgent request, the United States was reluctant to deliver the military equipment because of its doubt in Somalia�s stability.
Accordingly in order to increase military backing from the United States, Barre took measures by officially declaring peace with Kenya and releasing two Somali political prisoners who were popular in America. In addition, he paid visit to America in order to tighten the relationship. As a result, United States increased its military aid especially in 1982, the year when Ethiopia�s soldiers crossed the Somali border and attacked and bombed the northern Somalia in cooperation with the Somali insurgents. President Siad Barre also paid unsuccessful visits to Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, West Germany, China in order to request military aid.
The Ogaden war had had a great impact on Somalian politics leaving Somalia exposed and militarily vulnerable. President Muhammad Siad Barre faced oppositions from the Somali people who were upset by the defeat. Riots, demonstrations, and mutinies became routine in Somalia especially in the north. Moreover, the fiasco of the Ogaden war escalated the already existing clan tensions despite the commonality of the Somalis in religion, language, culture and history, unlike other African countries of mosaic ethnicity.
More and more of Somalia�s soldiers defected to anti-government groups who were encouraged by Ethiopia and established their offices in the capital city of Ethiopia- Addis Ababa. These groups were Somali Salivation Democratic Front (SSDF)- an umbrella organization formed on October 1981 by three groups who were committed to remove President Siad Barre and Somalia National Movement (SNM) whose central office was primarily in London and latter changed to Addis Ababa. The civil war waged by these insurgents exemplified the fragility of Siad Barre�s government who increasingly relied on clan and family ties to maintain its position. The government�s response to the uprisings and mutinies was ruthless and used extraordinary means to crush them.
Many northern intellectuals and government officials were arrested because of suspicion of organizing a coup to overthrow the government. All in all the political prisoners held without charge in 1988 were estimated at 1,000. The international community accused Somalia of abusing human rights that affected the foreign relations negatively.
Source: Shaebia.org |
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