The campaign involved indiscriminate aerial bombardments and ground assaults on the cities of Hargeisa and Burao, resulting in large-scale destruction and civilian casualties.[3] It is estimated that 90% of Hargeisa and 70% of Burao were destroyed, displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians.[4]
Throughout the 1980s, civil conflict proliferated throughout the Somali Democratic Republic as domestic opposition against the regime of Siad Barre intensified. The Somali National Movement (SNM), composed primarily of members of the Isaaq clan, sought to overthrow the government and establish autonomy in the northern regions.[5]
At the end of May 1988, the SNM force of around 10,000 men launched an offensive and captured key areas in the major urban centers of Hargeisa and Burao.[6] In response, the Somali regime initiated a massive military operation to retake the cities and crush the rebellion.[7]
The city of Hargeisa, home to approximately 500,000 people at the time, faced heavy aerial bombardments by the Somali Air Force. Residential neighborhoods, markets, and infrastructure were targeted indiscriminately.[9] It is reported that 90% of the city was destroyed, with widespread civilian casualties.[10] Survivors described the city as being "reduced to rubble," with entire neighborhoods leveled. The destruction caused mass displacement, with most residents fleeing to refugee camps in neighboring Ethiopia.[4] Some 5,000 civilians reportedly died in the northern part of the city which had suffered heavy shelling.[11]
The SNM successfully captured the city of Burao on May 27, 1988, marking a significant victory for the group. However, the Somali regime retaliated by conducting aerial bombardments and artillery strikes, destroying 70% of the city's infrastructure.[13] The destruction resulted in widespread loss of civilian life and the death of Mohamed Ali, a key SNM leader who played a prominent role in the battle.[14]
Key Commanders
**Mohamed Siad Barre** – President of Somalia and architect of the military campaign.
**Mohamed Said Hersi Morgan** – Colonel in the Somali Army and leader of the counteroffensive. He was referred to as the "Butcher of Hargeisa" for his role in overseeing the destruction.[14]
**Somali Air Force pilots** – Conducted indiscriminate bombings, targeting civilian areas and infrastructure.[15]
Aftermath
The destruction of Hargeisa and Burao had a catastrophic impact on northern Somalia.
Estimates place the civilian death toll between 50,000 and 100,000.[10]
The widespread destruction displaced hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom fled to refugee camps in Ethiopia.[4]
The events of 1988 are recognized as war crimes, with Colonel Morgan and the Siad Barre regime blamed for their roles in the atrocities.[14]
↑ Lorch, Donatella (1993-09-30). "In Another Part of Somalia, Resentment of the U.N."The New York Times. ISSN0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-06-24. Mohammed Hersi Morgan, now a clan leader in the south, ordered the bombing of Hargeisa in 1988. Much of the city was destroyed and 15,000 to 20,000 people were killed in two years of mass executions and bombings, human rights and United Nations officials say.
↑ Lorch, Donatella (1993-09-30). "In Another Part of Somalia, Resentment of the U.N."The New York Times. ISSN0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-06-24. Mohammed Hersi Morgan, now a clan leader in the south, ordered the bombing of Hargeisa in 1988. Much of the city was destroyed and 15,000 to 20,000 people were killed in two years of mass executions and bombings, human rights and United Nations officials say.
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