List of wars involving Somalia

Last updated

This is a list of wars involving Somalia in which Somali armed forces participated in after Somalia's independence on the 1st of July 1960.

  Somalia defeat
  Somalia victory
  Another result (e.g. a treaty or peace without a clear result, result unknown or indecisive)
  Ongoing conflict
DateConflictAlliesEnemiesResult
1963-1967 Shifta War Northern Frontier Districts Liberation Movement Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Kenya Colony (until Dec. 1963)
Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya (from Dec. 1963)
Supported by:
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1936; 1941-1974).svg  Ethiopian Empire [2]
Cease-fire
  • Ceasefire signed in 1967, and Somalia ceased support for insurgents.
1963-1970 Bale Revolt Oromo people Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1936; 1941-1974).svg Ethiopian Empire
Supported by:
Flag of the United States.svg United States

Flag of Israel.svg Israel [3]

Defeat
  • Bale revolt suppressed in 1970, and Ethiopia reasserted control over the region.
1964 1964 Ethiopian–Somali Border War Flag of Somalia.svg Somalia
Supported by:
Flag of the United Arab Republic.svg Egypt [1]
Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1936; 1941-1974).svg Ethiopia
Supported by:
Flag of the United States.svg United States [3]
Cease-fire
  • The war ended in a ceasefire brokered by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). Somalia did not achieve its goal of annexing the Ogaden region, and Ethiopia retained control over the disputed territory.


1977–1978 Ogaden War Flag of Somalia.svg Somalia
Flag of the Western Somali Liberation Front.svg WSLF
Supported by:
Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg Egypt [4]
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia [5] [6]
Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Iraq

State flag of Iran (1964-1980).svg Iran [6] [7]

Flag of Ethiopia (1975-1987).svg  Derg
Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
Flag of South Yemen.svg  South Yemen [8]
Supported by:
Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg  Polish People's Republic [9] [10]
Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany
Flag of North Korea (1948-1992).svg  North Korea [11]
Defeat [12] [13]
1982 1982 Ethiopian–Somali Border War Flag of Somalia.svg Somalia
Supported by:
Flag of the United States.svg United States
Flag of Ethiopia (1975-1987).svg  Derg Stalemate
  • Ethiopian invasion halted [15] [16]
  • Ethiopia occupies the border towns of Galdogob and Balanbale until 1988 [17]
  • The United States delivers emergency military and economic aid to Somalia [15] [18]
1986 – present Somali Civil War Flag of Somalia.svg  Somalia
Flag of the United States.svg  United States [19] [20]
Supported by:
Flag of Italy.svg Italy [21]
Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey [22]
Flag of United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom [23]
Flag of Jihad.svg Al-Qaeda

AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg Islamic State (from 2015) [24] [25]

Ongoing

References

  1. 1 2 3 Mekonnen, Teferi (2018). "The Nile issue and the Somali-Ethiopian wars (1960s–78)". Annales d'Éthiopie. 32: 271–291. doi:10.3406/ethio.2018.1657.
  2. Behr 2018, p. 148.
  3. 1 2 Lefebvre, Jeffrey (1998). "The United States, Ethiopia and the 1963 Somali-Soviet Arms Deal: Containment and the Balance of Power Dilemma in the Horn of Africa". The Journal of Modern African Studies. 36 (4): 611–643. doi:10.1017/S0022278X98002870. JSTOR   161927. S2CID   154644957.
  4. Mekonnen, Teferi (2018). "The Nile issue and the Somali-Ethiopian wars (1960s–78)". Annales d'Éthiopie. 32: 271–291. doi:10.3406/ethio.2018.1657.
  5. Tareke 2000 , p. 656.
  6. 1 2 Fitzgerald, Nina J. (2002). Somalia; Issues, History, and Bibliography. Nova Publishers. p. 64. ISBN   9781590332658.
  7. Malovany, Pesach (21 July 2017). Wars of Modern Babylon. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN   9780813169453.
  8. "Ogaden Area recaptured by Ethiopian Forces with Soviet and Cuban Support -International Ramifications of Ethiopian-Somali Conflict – Incipient Soviet and Cuban Involvement in Ethiopian Warfare against Eritrean Secessionists -Political Assassinations inside Ethiopia". Keesing's Record of World Events (formerly Keesing's Contemporary Archives). 1 May 1978.
  9. Lefebvre, Jeffrey Alan. Arms for the horn : U.S. Security Policy in Ethiopia and Somalia. University of Pitsburg Press. p. 188.
  10. "Arms and Rumors From East, West Sweep Ethiopia". Washington Postt. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  11. "North Korea's Military Partners in the Horn". The Diplomat. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  12. Lapidoth, Ruth (1982). The Read Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. ISBN   9024725011.
  13. Szajkowski, Bogdan (18 June 1981). Marxist Governments_ A World Survey_ Mozambique-Yugoslavia. Springer. p. 656. ISBN   9781349043323.
  14. Gorman 1981 , p. 208
  15. 1 2 Cowell, Alan (8 October 1982). "Ethiopian Drive Against Somalia Bogs Down". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  16. "Ethiopian and Somali Forces Withdrawn Under Agreement". The New York Times. 26 April 1988.
  17. "The History Guy: Ethiopia-Somalia Wars and Conflicts" . Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  18. "Somalia: Status of the Armed Forces" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. March 1982. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  19. "Al-Shabaab leader's fate unclear after suspected U.S. drone strike". CNN. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  20. "U.S. drone strike in Somalia targets al-Shabab leader". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  21. "US special forces base, Italian army convoy attacked in Somalia". Al Jazeera. 30 September 2019.
  22. Liddon, Paul (13 July 2019). "The significance of Turkey's overseas military bases". AhvalNews . Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  23. "First British troops arrive in Somalia as part of UN mission". The Guardian. 2 May 2016. Archived from the original on 2 May 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  24. "ISIL's First East African Affiliate Conducts Attacks in Somalia, Kenya". DefenseNews. December 29, 2015.
  25. "Somalia: Pro-ISIL militants, Al Shabaab clash in deadly Puntland infighting". Garowe Online. December 24, 2015. Archived from the original on January 26, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.

Sources