The Somali National Movement was one of the first and most important organized guerilla groups and Mujahideen groups that opposed the Siad Barre regime in the 1980s to the 1990s, as well as being the main anti-government faction during the Somaliland War of Independence. The organisation was founded in London, England, on April 6, 1981 by Hassan Isse Jama, Hassan Adan Wadadid, and Ahmed Mohamed Gulaid and other former Somali diplomats, who stated that initially the group's purpose was to overthrow the Siad Barre regime.
The Somali Rebellion was the start of the Somali Civil War that began in the 1970s and resulted in the collapse of the Somali Democratic Republic in 1991. The rebellion effectively began in 1978 following a failed coup d’état and President Siad Barre began using his special forces, the "Red Berets", to attack clan-based dissident groups opposed to his regime. Backed by Ethiopia, the two earliest rebel factions, the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF) and the Somali National Movement (SNM) began attacks during the against government forces during the early 1980s.
Over the course of the Somali Civil War, there have been many revolutionary movements and militia groups run by competing rebel leaders which have held de facto control over vast areas within Somalia.
The Ethiopian–Somali Border War occurred from June 1982 to August 1983 when Ethiopia, sending a 10,000-man invasion force backed by warplanes and armoured units, supported by thousands of Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF) rebels, invaded central Somalia.
The Isaaq genocide, also known as the Hargeisa Holocaust, was the systematic, state-sponsored genocide of Isaaq civilians between 1987 and 1989 by the Somali Democratic Republic, under the dictatorship of Siad Barre, during the Somaliland War of Independence. The number of civilian deaths in this massacre is estimated to be between 50,000 and 100,000, according to various sources, whilst local reports estimate the total civilian deaths to be upwards of 200,000 Isaaq civilians. The genocide, which escalated after the Somali National Movement (SNM)'s 1988 Northern Somalia offensive, also included the levelling and complete destruction of the second and third largest cities in the Somali Republic, Hargeisa and Burao, respectively, and had caused up to 500,000 Somalis of the region, primarily of the Isaaq clan, to flee their land and cross the border to Hartasheikh in Ethiopia as refugees in what was described as "one of the fastest and largest forced movements of people recorded in Africa", which resulted in the creation of the world's largest refugee camp then (1988), with another 400,000 being displaced. The scale of destruction led to Hargeisa being known as the 'Dresden of Africa'. The killings happened during the Somali Civil War and have been referred to as a "forgotten genocide".
The Somaliland Peace Process refers to the series of grassroot initiatives that brought peace to Somaliland after the collapse of central government of Somalia. In conjunction with the Somali National Movement, communities in Somaliland negotiated a series of truces to end hostilities and address the grievances between the communities who were often on opposing sides to the Barre regime.
Hassan Adan Wadadid was a Somali politician and diplomat. He was the Somali Republic ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan during the 60s. He was one of the founders of the Somali National Movement and served as the movement's first Vice-Chairman. Hassan belonged to the Rer Ainanshe sub-division of the Habr Yunis Garhajis clan.
Mohamed Hashi Dirie, commonly known as Lihle was a Somali military leader, colonel of the Somali National Army and later the commander of the military wing of the Somali National Movement. He belonged to the Farah Mohamed branch of the Musa Abdallah subclan of the Habr Yunis. Garxajis
The Somaliland National Army, is the land force and largest branch of the Somaliland Armed Forces is based in the Somaliland capital of Hargeisa. The Somaliland National Army is composed entirely of professionals and volunteers because the army is not mandatory for conscription. Some Somaliland battalions operate near the Puntland border due to a border dispute.
The Somaliland War of Independence was a rebellion waged by the Somali National Movement (SNM) against the ruling military junta in Somalia led by General Siad Barre lasting from its founding on 6 April 1981 and ended on 18 May 1991 when the SNM declared what was then northern Somalia independent as the Republic of Somaliland. The conflict served as the main theater of the larger Somali Rebellion that started in 1978. The conflict was in response to the harsh policies enacted by the Barre regime against the main clan family in Somaliland, the Isaaq, including a declaration of economic warfare on the clan-family. These harsh policies were put into effect shortly after the conclusion of the disastrous Ogaden War in 1978.
The 1988 Hargeisa Burao offensive was a major offensive conducted during the Somaliland War of Independence in May 1988 by the Somali National Movement on the cities of Hargeisa and Burao, then the second and third largest cities of Somalia. The SNM captured Burao on 27 May within two hours, while the SNM entered Hargeisa on 29 May, overrunning most of the city apart from its airport by 1 June. During the offensive the Somali National Army committed gross human rights violations, including attacking the civilian population using heavy artillery and tanks.
Buur Dhaab, also known as Buurdhaab or Bur Dab, is a mountain range situated in the Togdheer and Sool regions of Somaliland. The mountain range stands at an elevation of 973 m, or 3,193 ft.
Ibrahim Ismail Koodbur is an early member of Somali National Movement (SNM). He died in 1987, before the restoration of Somaliland's independence.
Ahmed Ismail Abdi is an initial member of Somali National Movement (SNM). His nickname is Duqsi
The Battle of the Mountains took place on November 25, 1984, during the Somali Civil War. The conflict was a key confrontation between the Somali National Movement (SNM) and the Somali government forces under President Siad Barre. The SNM launched an assault on the mountainous regions of Somaliland, aiming to resist the oppressive regime and secure the region's autonomy.
The destruction of Hargeisa and Burao occurred in 1988 during the Somaliland War of Independence. It was part of a counteroffensive launched by the Somali government under President Mohamed Siad Barre against the Somali National Movement (SNM), an opposition group active in northern Somalia. The campaign involved indiscriminate aerial bombardments and ground assaults on the cities of Hargeisa and Burao, resulting in large-scale destruction and civilian casualties. It is estimated that 90% of Hargeisa and 70% of Burao were destroyed, displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians.
The Mandera Prison Assault was a pivotal military operation conducted by the Somali National Movement (SNM) on 2 January 1983 during the early stages of the Somaliland War of Independence. The assault targeted Mandera Prison, a high-security detention center near Berbera in northern Somalia, where numerous political dissidents from Somaliland were held. Under the command of Colonel Mohamed Hashi Lihle, SNM commando units freed over 700 prisoners, though independent sources estimate that around a dozen prominent political detainees escaped. The operation, considered the SNM's first major military success, significantly boosted the morale of the resistance movement and highlighted the deteriorating grip of the Somali government in the northern regions.
The Battle of Cadaadley occurred on 29 May 1988 during the Somali Civil War, marking a significant offensive by the Somali National Movement (SNM) against the Somali National Army (SNA). This engagement was part of a broader campaign launched by the SNM across multiple fronts, including Hargeisa and Burco, to destabilize the Somali government’s control in the northern regions.
The Battle of Hargeisa occurred on 31 May 1988 during the Somaliland War of Independence, when the Somali National Movement launched a surprise attack on Hargeisa, a major city in Somaliland.
The Battle of Burao took place on 27 May 1988 during the Somaliland War of Independence, when forces of the Somali National Movement (SNM) launched a surprise attack on the city of Burao, a strategic location in northern Somalia.
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