Al-Hidaya Mosque massacre

Last updated
al-Hidaya Mosque massacre
Part of the Battle of Mogadishu (2008) and Ethiopian occupation of Somalia
Location Huriwa District, Mogadishu
Coordinates 2°02′00″N45°21′00″E / 2.0333°N 45.3500°E / 2.0333; 45.3500
Date20 April 2008
Deaths21 killed
VictimsIslamic clerics & students
PerpetratorFlag of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (3).svg  Ethiopian National Defense Force

The al-Hidaya Mosque massacre occurred on Sunday 20 April 2008 during the Ethiopian occupation of Somalia, when Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) soldiers killed 21 worshippers, including an Imam and several Islamic scholars, at a mosque in Mogadishu, Somalia. During the attack, 41 school children at the mosque were abducted and detained for several days at ENDF bases. The massacre inflamed the rising Islamic insurgency. [1]

Contents

Background

Al-Hidaya is one of the biggest mosques in the Somali capital and is situated in the Huriwa District. In the years before the Ethiopian invasion it became a place of worship for adherents to Sufism, in particular the Tablighi Jamaat. [1] The Tablighi were not involved in the largely Islamic insurgency that coalesced in early 2007, [2] and at the time mosque also operated as a religious madrasa for children. [3]

During the April 2008 Battle of Mogadishu, the most fierce clashes since the start of the year was raging between the Somali fighters and ENDF troops. [4] Huriwa and neighboring districts were a focal point of the battles. [5] As fierce fighting was underway in Huriwa during the 19th and 20 April, al-Hidaya came under deliberate artillery fire from Ethiopian forces. [6]

Massacre

According to numerous witnesses, on Sunday April 20, Ethiopian troops stormed into the al-Hidaya mosque where there were more than 100 people present including many school children. [3] Sheikh Hussein Ali, one of the clerics present, told BBC Somali that the Ethiopian army had fired at al-Hidaya with a barrage of mortars and then advanced on the mosque with tanks. [3] The masjid's Imam and most senior leader, Sheikh Said Yahya, opened the mosques door in response to the soldiers knocking, and was killed by the Ethiopians. [2] [5]

The Ethiopians surrounded al-Hidaya Mosque on Sunday and killed [the] mullahs mercilessly, including Sheikh Sa'id, the chief of the group in southern Somalia

–Tablighi official Shiekh Abdi-kheyr Isse, 21 April 2008 [5]

Some worshippers were killed by shooting, while others had their throats cut. [2] A total of seven people were reported to have had their throats slit by the Ethiopians. [7] The soldiers left several bodies with their arms bound and throats cut lying outside the mosque. [8] Some of the clerics had been beheaded. [9] Residents who buried the victims reported that several of those killed had their hands cut off and backs broken. A total of 21 people were killed during the massacre, with 11 being murdered inside the mosque and others just outside. Some of those not killed by Ethiopian troops were detained and released the next day, under orders not to return to the mosque. Ethiopian soldiers claimed that 'training' was undergoing at the building. [2]

Abduction of school children

41 children, ranging from ages 9 to 14 years old, were in classes at the mosque during the killing and were detained by ENDF forces for days after at a military base in north Mogadishu. The Ethiopian troops said they would only release the children, 'if they were not terrorists' [7] [10] and said they suspected the children of being trained for the insurgency at al-Hidaya. [11] On 25 April 2008, the children were released. [12]

Aftermath and response

Several days after the massacre Amnesty International issued a statement condemning the ENDF for the massacre at al-Hidaya. The Ethiopian government denied being involved [13] and accused Amnesty International of "publicizing deliberately invented stories about the activities of Ethiopian troops.” [9] The Ethiopian backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) initially denied the incident took place, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Jangali calling reports of a massacre a "baseless lie". [14] President of the TFG, Abdullahi Yusuf, accused Islamic insurgents of dressing up in Ethiopian uniforms and committing the massacre. [9]

Insurgent factions such as Al-Shabaab, the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) and the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) publicly condemned the massacre. Spokesman for the ICU, Sheikh Mohamud Ibrahim Suley, issued a statement condemning both the Ethiopian army and the TFG for defending ENDF actions. Al-Shabaab declared it would avenge those killed. [15] [6] The ARS announced that it had suspended peace talks with the TFG. [10] Several days earlier, head of the ARS Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, publicly announced:

"The Ethiopian forces backing the transitional government mercilessly killed many innocent people, including the people slaughtered at the al-Hidaya mosque...I am clearly stating that we will rethink about attending the expected talks in Djibouti." [8]

Human rights organizations warned that the murders by Ethiopian soldiers would 'dramatically strengthen' the groups fighting against the Ethiopian army. Mogadishu residents reported the massacre had convinced many people to join the anti-Ethiopian insurgency. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic Courts Union</span> Somalian legal and political organization (2000–2009)

The Islamic Courts Union was a legal and political organization founded by Mogadishu-based Sharia courts during the early 2000s to combat the lawlessness stemming from the Somali Civil War. By mid-to-late 2006, the Islamic Courts had expanded their influence to become the de facto government in most of southern and central Somalia, succeeding in creating the first semblance of a state since 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transitional Federal Government of Somalia</span> Government of Somalia from 2004 to 2012

The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was internationally recognized as a provisional government of the Somalia from 14 October 2004 until 20 August 2012, when its tenure officially ended and the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) was inaugurated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War in Somalia (2006–2009)</span> Failed Ethiopian invasion

The Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, also known as the Ethiopian occupation of Somalia or the Ethiopian intervention in the Somali Civil War, was an armed conflict that lasted from late 2006 to early 2009. It began when military forces from Ethiopia, supported by the United States, invaded Somalia to depose the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and install the Transitional Federal Government (TFG). The conflict continued after the invasion when an anti-Ethiopian insurgency emerged and rapidly escalated. During 2007 and 2008, the insurgency recaptured the majority of territory lost by the ICU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethiopian–Somali conflict</span> Territorial and political dispute

The Ethiopian–Somali conflict is a territorial and political dispute between Ethiopia, Somalia, and insurgents in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Baidoa</span> 2006 battle of the Somalia War

The Battle of Baidoa began on 20 December 2006 when the Somali transitional federal government forces (TFG) allied with Ethiopian forces stationed there attacked advancing Islamic Courts Union (ICU) forces along with 500 alleged Eritrean troops and mujahideen arrayed against them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fall of Mogadishu</span> 2006 takeover of Mogadishu by TFG and Ethiopian troops during the War in Somalia (2006–09)

The fall of Mogadishu occurred on 28 December 2006, when the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) advanced into the capital to install the Transitional Federal Government (TFG). The Islamic Courts Union (ICU), which had controlled the capital since June 2006, withdrew from the city after a week of fighting ENDF/TFG forces in southern and central Somalia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Jilib</span> Battle in the 2006 Somali War

The Battle of Jilib took place on the last day of 2006 during the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia. It was fought when Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) troops and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) militia launched an offensive on the town of Jilib, held by the Islamic Courts Union (ICU).

The timeline of events in the War in Somalia during 2006 is set out below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 timeline of the War in Somalia</span> List of events

The timeline of events in the War in Somalia during 2007 is set out below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Mogadishu (March–April 2007)</span> Battle of the Somali civil war

The Battle of Mogadishu began on 21 March 2007 in the Shirkole area of Mogadishu between Somali Transitional Federal Government forces and allied Ethiopian troops, and Islamist insurgents. The battle usually includes the dates, when referenced, in order to distinguish it amongst the nine major Battles of Mogadishu during the decades-long Somali Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia</span> Political party

The Alliance for the Re–liberation of Somalia (ARS) was a political party formed in Eritrea during September 2007 as the successor to the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) during the Ethiopian military occupation of Somalia. It served as the principal political opposition to the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) and participated in the 2007 and 2008 years of the insurgency.

The 2008 Battle of Mogadishu began when soldiers from Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) entered parts of the capital held by the insurgency on 19 April, sparking heavy street fighting in the northern part of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 timeline of the Somali Civil War</span>

The 2009 timeline of events in the Somalia War (2006–2009) during January 2009 is set out below. From the beginning of February the timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present) is set out following the conclusion of the previous phase of the civil war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somali Civil War (2009–present)</span> Ongoing conflict in the Horn of Africa

The Somali Civil War (2009–present) is the ongoing phase of the Somali Civil War which is concentrated in southern and central Somalia. It began in late January 2009 with the present conflict mainly between the forces of the Federal Government of Somalia assisted by African Union peacekeeping troops and al-Shabaab militants who pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda during 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle for Central Somalia (2009)</span> Series of battles in various Somalilands in 2009

A series of battles in Hiraan, Shabeellaha Dhexe and Galgudug, between rebels of al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam and Somali government forces and ICU militants loyal to the government, erupted during spring 2009. The fighting led to al-Shabaab capturing major government strongholds and Ethiopian forces re-entering Somalia and setting up bases in Hiraan. There was a halt in fighting during a government offensive in Mogadishu, which started on May 22.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Mogadishu (2010–2011)</span>

The Battle of Mogadishu (2010–11) began on 23 August 2010 when al-Shabaab insurgents began attacking government and African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) positions in the Somali capital of Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab began its offensive after its spokesman said the group was declaring a "massive war" on troops sent by AMISOM, describing its 6,000 peacekeepers as "invaders". In December 2010 the number of AMISOM troops was increased to 8,000 and later to 9,000. The battle's name usually includes the years, when referenced, in order to distinguish it amongst the nine major Battles of Mogadishu during the decades long Somali Civil War.

This sets forth a timeline of the War in Somalia during 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 timeline of the Somali Civil War</span>

This is a 2011 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 timeline of the Somali Civil War</span>

This is a 2013 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 timeline of the Somali Civil War</span>

This is a 2010 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ryu, Alisha (2008-04-22). "Mogadishu residents express outrage after Ethiopian troops attack mosque". reliefweb.int. Voice of America . Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Ethiopian soldiers blamed for mosque massacre in Somalia". Garowe Online . 21 April 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-12-03.
  3. 1 2 3 Barise, Hassan (21 April 2008). "Xaaladda magaalada Muqdisho" [The situation in Mogadishu]. BBC Somali.
  4. ↑ "Somalia: Situation Report No. 16 - 25 Apr 2008". ReliefWeb . UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 2008-04-25. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  5. 1 2 3 "Clerics killed in Somali mosque". BBC News . 21 April 2008. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  6. 1 2 "Ciidamada Itoobiyaanka Oo Xasuuq Fool-Xun Ka Geystay Masaajid Xarun u Ah Tabliiqiyiinta Muqdisho" [The Ethiopian army committed an ugly massacre at a mosque that is a center for the Tabliqhi in Mogadishu]. Haatuf News (in Somali). 22 April 2008. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  7. 1 2 "Ethiopian soldiers accused of Somali massacre". Hiiraan Online . Reuters. 23 April 2008. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  8. 1 2 Adow, Mohamed Amiin (21 April 2008). "Somalia clashes 'the worst since 1991'". CNN . Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  9. 1 2 3 Meehan, Emily (2008-08-22). "The Transitional Government". Slate . ISSN   1091-2339 . Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  10. 1 2 "UN humanitarian chief calls for protection of civilians". The New Humanitarian . 24 April 2008. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  11. ↑ Omar, Yusuf Garaad (25 April 2008). "Dagaalkii ka dhacay magaalada Muqdisho" [The war that took place in the city of Mogadishu]. BBC Somali Service .
  12. ↑ "Somali children freed from mosque". BBC News . 2008-04-25. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  13. ↑ "Ethiopia oo beenisay eedeeynta Amnesty" [Ethiopia denied Amnesty's allegations]. BBCSomali (in Somali). 23 April 2008. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  14. ↑ Jiisow, Muuse Maxamuud (24 April 2008). "Xasuuqii Ciidamada Ethiopianku u geysteen culumadii tabliiqa iyo hadalladii laga yiri" [Massacre of the Tablighi scholars by the Ethiopian army and the statements made about it]. SomlaliTalk (in Somali). Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  15. ↑ "Sheikh Maxamud Ibraahim Suuley oo ku dhaartay in ay u aargudi doonaan Xasuuqii loo gaystay Shacabka iyo Culimadii tabliiqa ahayd" [Sheikh Mahmoud Ibrahim Suley swore that they will avenge the massacre of the people and the religious scholars]. SomaliSwiss (in Somali). 21 April 2008. Retrieved 2024-04-24.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.