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The War in Somalia, also known as the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia or the Ethiopian intervention in the

Somali Civil War The Somali Civil War ( so, Dagaalkii Sokeeye ee Soomaaliya; ar, الحرب الأهلية الصومالية ) is an ongoing civil war that is taking place in Somalia. It grew out of resistance to the Military dictatorship, military junta wh ...

, was an

armed conflict War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular ...

involving largely Ethiopian and Somali

Transitional Federal Government The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) ( so, Dowladda Federaalka Kumeelgaarka, ar, الحكومة الاتحادية الانتقالية) was internationally recognized as a provisional government of the Republic of Somalia from 14 October ...

(TFG) forces and Somali troops from

Puntland Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...

versus the Somali Islamist

umbrella group An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and ofte ...

, the

Islamic Court Union The Islamic Courts Union ( so, Midowga Maxkamadaha Islaamiga) was a legal and political organization formed to address the lawlessness that had been gripping Somalia since the fall of the Siad Barre regime in 1991 during the Somali Civil War. Th ...

(ICU), and other affiliated militias for control of

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

. Ethiopian's actions were due to the ICU gaining control of a majority of southern Somalia in late 2006.

Forces involved

Forces involved are difficult to calculate because of many factors, including lack of formal organization or record-keeping, and claims which remained masked by

disinformation Disinformation is false information deliberately spread to deceive people. It is sometimes confused with misinformation, which is false information but is not deliberate. The English word ''disinformation'' comes from the application of the L ...

. Ethiopia, for months leading up to the war, maintained it had only a few hundred advisors in the country, yet independent reports indicated far more troops. According to the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

, "The

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

estimated that at least over 9,000

Ethiopian Ethiopians are the native inhabitants of Ethiopia, as well as the global diaspora of Ethiopia. Ethiopians constitute several component ethnic groups, many of which are closely related to ethnic groups in neighboring Eritrea and other parts of ...

troops may be in the country while the AP suggests the number closer to 12–15,000,

Background

Historic background

Boundary disputes between

and

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

over the

Ogaden Ogaden (pronounced and often spelled ''Ogadēn''; so, Ogaadeen, am, ውጋዴ/ውጋዴን) is one of the historical names given to the modern Somali Region, the territory comprising the eastern portion of Ethiopia formerly part of the Harargh ...

region date to the 1948 settlement when the land was granted to Ethiopia. Somali disgruntlement with this decision has led to repeated attempts to invade

with the hopes of taking control of the

to create a

Greater Somalia Greater Somalia ( so, Soomaaliweyn, ar, الصومال الكبرى ''As-Sūmal al-Kubra'') is a concept to unite all ethnic Somalis comprising the regions in or near the Horn of Africa in which ethnic Somalis live and have historically inhabited ...

. This plan would have reunited the Somali people of the

-controlled

with those living in the

Somali Republic The Somali Republic ( so, Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliyeed; it, Repubblica Somala; ar, الجمهورية الصومالية, Jumhūriyyat aṣ-Ṣūmālīyyah) was a sovereign state composed of Somalia and Somaliland, following the unification o ...

. These ethnic and political tensions have caused cross-border clashes over the years. * 1960–1964

Border Dispute A territorial dispute or boundary dispute is a disagreement over the possession or control of land between two or more political entities. Context and definitions Territorial disputes are often related to the possession of natural resources su ...

* 1977–1978

Ogaden War The Ogaden War, or the Ethio-Somali War (, am, የኢትዮጵያ ሶማሊያ ጦርነት, ye’ītiyop’iya somalīya t’orineti), was a military conflict fought between Somalia and Ethiopia from July 1977 to March 1978 over the Ethiopi ...

* 1982 August Border Clash * 1998–2000 Cross-border warfare during the chaotic fraction leader-led era.

Information warfare, disinformation and propaganda

Even before the beginning of the war, there have been significant assertions and accusations of the use of disinformation and propaganda tactics by various parties to shape the causes and course of the conflict. This includes assertions of falsification of the presence or number of forces involved, exaggeration or minimization of the casualties inflicted or taken, influence or control of media outlets (or shutting them down), and other informational means and media to sway popular support and international opinion. Eastern African countries and international observers had feared the

n offensive may lead to a regional war, involving

Eritrea Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia ...

, which has a complex relationship with

and whom

claimed to have been a supporter of the ICU. The

Eritrean government The Politics of Eritrea and the Government of Eritrea takes place in a framework of a single-party presidential republican totalitarian dictatorship. The President officially serves as both head of state and head of government. The People's F ...

repeatedly denied any involvement despite

n claims to the contrary.President Isaias reiterates that Eritrea did not send troops to Somalia
Eritrean Ministry of Information

Prelude to the invasion

Ethiopian troops moved into Somali territory on July 20, 2006. On October 9, it was reported Ethiopian troops seized

Burhakaba Burhakaba ( so, Buurhakaba) is a town located in the Bay region in Somalia. The town takes its name from a big mountain in the city's center. Overview Burhakaba is the second largest town in the Bay region, with a reported population of 360,795 ...

. Another article seemed to indicate the

control was a troop convoy passing through.

Islamists Islamism (also often called political Islam or Islamic fundamentalism) is a political ideology which posits that modern states and regions should be reconstituted in constitutional, economic and judicial terms, in accordance with what is c ...

claim the town reverted to their control after the

Ethiopians Ethiopians are the native inhabitants of Ethiopia, as well as the global diaspora of Ethiopia. Ethiopians constitute several component ethnic groups, many of which are closely related to ethnic groups in neighboring Eritrea and other parts of ...

departed. SomaliNet reports the elders asked the TFG to leave to avoid bloodshed in their town. The article said it was TFG troops, and not

who had come to the town. On December 8, 2006, the ICU were attacked by TFG forces, backed up by Ethiopian troops. According to the

...
, ICU Chairman

Sharif Sheikh Ahmed Sharif Sheikh Ahmed ( so, Shariif Sheekh Axmed, ar, شريف شيخ أحمد; born 25 July 1964) is a Somali politician who served as President of Somalia from 2009 to 2012. He is the founder and leader of Himilo Qaran political party and ...

called on

Somalis The Somalis ( so, Soomaalida 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒆𐒖, ar, صوماليون) are an ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The Lowland East Cushitic Somali language is the shared ...

to "stand up and defeat the enemies". Another official said Ethiopian troops had shelled the town of Bandiradley. The Deputy Defence Minister of the TFG, Salat Ali Jelle, confirmed the fighting but denied any Ethiopian troops were involved. The

Ethiopian government The government of Ethiopia () is the federal government of Ethiopia. It is structured in a framework of a federal parliamentary republic, whereby the prime minister is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. T ...

denied repeated claims that its troops were fighting alongside TFG militia. Witnesses in Dagaari village near Bandiradley said that they saw hundreds of Ethiopian troops and tanks take up positions near the town with

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

men from the northeastern semi-autonomous region of

. On December 13, a

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was estab ...

report said that the ICU claimed 30,000 Ethiopian troops were involved in the invasion of

Timeline

Major events

The weak and fragile TFG, that was only capable of controlling small parcels of land far south of

Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...

, made the unpopular decision to invite

to intervene in

. The

Battle of Baidoa 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 ...

began on December 20, 2006, when the TFG's forces allied with occupying Ethiopian forces attacked the ICU. Heavy shooting broke out between TFG troops and

southeast of

Baidoa Baidoa (, Somali: Maay.html"_;"title="f-Maxaa:_Baydhabo,_Maay">f-Maxaa:_Baydhabo,_Maay:_''Baydhowy)''_is_the_largest_city_of_the_South_West_State_of_Somalia. Between_2002_and_2014,_Baidoa_was_the_capital_of_the_South_West_State_of_Somalia.html ...

Fighting erupts on Somali front near govt stronghold
Reuters The Battle of Bandiradley began on December 23, 2006, when

and Ethiopian forces, along with faction leader Abdi Qeybdid, fought ICU militias which were defending Bandiradley. The fighting pushed the

out of Bandiradley and over the border south into

Adado Adado () is a city in the Galguduud region of Galmudug state in central Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Repu ...

district, Galgadud region, by December 25. By December 24, direct

intervention in the conflict in support of the TFG was confirmed by the

. On 26 December 2006, the

envoy to Somalia urged an end to the fighting, and the President of the

United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...

, proposed a draft statement calling for an immediate cease-fire and the withdrawal of all international forces, specifying Ethiopian troops. US, Britain, France, and Russia, objected to the statement, saying peace talks and agreement were necessary before troops could withdraw. ICU chairman

, told reporters ICU

s were retreating and called on the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and other countries to speak out against

's aggression. On December 27, 2006, the top leaders of the Islamic Courts Union, including

Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys (English: ( so, Xasan Daahir Aweys, ( ar, حسن طاهر أويس; born 1935) is a Somali political figure from the Habargidir/Ayr subclan within the Hawiye clan. During the regime of Siad Barre, Aweys was a colone ...

, Sheikh

and Sheikh

Abdirahman Janaqow Abdirahman Mahmud Farah Janaqow ( so, Cabdiraxmaan Maxamuud Faarax Janaqoow) is a Somali leader, and he was deputy chairman, and a member of the Islamic Courts Union of Somalia (ICU). He and other leaders signed a capitulation of Mogadishu on 2 ...

, resigned on 27 December 2006, and the organisation was disbanded. On December 29 TFG and

troops entered Mogadishu unopposed. As of January 2007,

said it would withdraw "within a few weeks" After the parliament took in 200 officials from the moderate Islamist opposition, ARS leader

was elected TFG President on January 31, 2009. After this, the Al Shabab radical Islamists accused the new TFG President of accepting the secular transitional government and have continued the civil war since he arrived in

at the presidential palace. In January 2009, Ethiopian troops finally withdrew from

. Al Shabaab rejected any peace deal and continued to take territories including

. Another Islamist group,

Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a (ASWJ) ( so, Ahlu Suna Waljamaaca) is a Somalia-based paramilitary group consisting of moderate Sufis opposed to radical Salafism. The group opposes hardline capital punishment or limb amputations advocated by extremist i ...

, which is allied to the TFG supported by

, continued to attack Al Shabab and take over towns as well.

December 2006

*December 20, 2006: Major fighting broke out around the TFG capital of Baidoa. Thirteen trucks filled with Ethiopian reinforcements were reported en route to the fighting. Leaders of both groups briefly kept an option open for peace talks brokered by the EU.Somali Islamist downplays war fears amid clashes
Reuters Following the carnage Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys is reported to have observed that, "

is in a state of war". *December 22, 2006: Nearly 20 Ethiopian tanks headed toward the front line. According to government sources

had 20

T-55 The T-54 and T-55 tanks are a series of Soviet main battle tanks introduced in the years following the Second World War. The first T-54 prototype was completed at Nizhny Tagil by the end of 1945.Steven Zaloga, T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tanks ...

tanks and four attack helicopters in

. *December 23, 2006: Ethiopian tanks and further reinforcements arrived in Daynuunay, 30 kilometres east of

. Heavy fighting continued in Lidale and Dinsoor.Ethiopian tanks move into battle with Somalia Islamists
AFP *December 24, 2006: Ethiopia admitted its troops were fighting the

, after stating earlier in the week it had only sent several hundred military advisors to

. Heavy fighting erupted in border areas, with reports of airstrikes and shelling, including targets near the town of

Beledweyne Beledweyne ( so, Beledweyne, ar, بلد وين, it, Belet Uen) is a city in central Somalia. Beledweyne District is the capital city of the Hiran region. The city is situated in the Shebelle Valley riverine near the Ethiopian border, 210 miles ...

. According to

Information Minister Berhan Hailu: "The

has taken self-defensive measures and started counter-attacking the aggressive extremist forces of the Islamic Courts and foreign terrorist groups." *December 25, 2006:

and TFG forces captured

. Defending Islamist forces fled

concurrent to Ethiopian airstrikes against the

and Bali-Dogle airports. Heavy fighting was also reported in

.Ethiopia attacks Somalia airports
BBC News *December 27, 2006: The leaders of the Islamic Courts Union, including

, Sheikh

and Sheikh

resigned, and the organisation was disbanded. The ICU had evacuated many towns without putting up a fight. The ICU top two commanders, defense chief

Yusuf Mohammed Siad Inda'ade Yusuf Mohammed Siad Indhacade, ( so, Yuusuf Maxamed Siyaad "Indhacadde") aka "Inda'ade" (White Eyes) was a Somali islamist and former Minister. In 2011 he was a General in the Somali National Army. He hails from the Ayr sub-clan, part of the Hab ...

and his deputy Abu Mansur were away on the Hajj pilgrimage in

Mecca Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...

and TFG forces were en route to

's capital,

having captured the strategic town of

Jowhar Jowhar ( so, Jowhar, ar, جوهر) is the capital city of Hirshabelle state of Somalia. Jowhar is also the administrative capital of Middle Shabelle Regions of Somalia, region of Somalia. Along with Baidoa, it used to form the joint adminis ...

, 90 km north from the capital.Ethiopians nearing Somali capital
BBC News *After the

Fall of Mogadishu The Fall of Mogadishu occurred on December 28, 2006, when the Military of Somalia, militaries of Somalia's Transitional Federal Parliament, Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and Ethiopian troops entered the Somalia, Somali capital unopposed. ...

to the

and TFG forces on December 28, the

retreated from the

Juba River The Jubba River or Juba River ( so, Wabiga Jubba) is a river in southern Somalia which flows through the autonomous region of Jubaland. It begins at the border with Ethiopia, where the Dawa and Ganale Dorya rivers meet, and flows directly sout ...

valley. *Heavy artillery fire was reported on December 31 in the

Battle of Jilib The Battle of Jilib was a battle in the 2006 Somali War fought by the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and affiliated militias against Ethiopian and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces for control of the town of Jilib. It began on 31 Decembe ...

and the

fled by midnight, leaving Kismayo, without a fight and retreating towards the

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

n border. *On December 31, 2006, A heavily armed column of government and Ethiopian troops advanced from

through

Lower Shabelle Lower Shabelle ( so, Shabeellaha Hoose, Maay: ''Shibelithy Hoosy'', ar, شبيلي السفلى, it, Basso Scebeli) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southern Somalia. Geography Lower Shabelle is bordered by the regions of Banaadir, ...

towards

Kismayo Kismayo ( so, Kismaayo, Maay Maay, Maay: ''Kismanyy'', ar, كيسمايو, ; it, Chisimaio) is a port city in the southern Lower Juba (Jubbada Hoose) province of Somalia. It is the commercial capital of the autonomous Jubaland region. The cit ...

. They reached Bulo Marer ( Kurtun Warrey district) and were heading to Baravo 1

2007

Military events in January 2007 focused on the southern section of

, primarily the withdrawal of the Islamists from

, and their pursuit using

airstrikes in Afmadow district concurrent to the Battle of Ras Kamboni. During this battle, the

launched an airstrike conducted by an

AC-130 The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily armed, long-endurance, attack aircraft, ground-attack variant of the C-130 Hercules transport, fixed-wing aircraft. It carries a wide array of ground-attack weapons that are integrated with sophisticate ...

gunship which they claimed was against suspected

Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...

operatives. A second airstrike was made after the battle later in January 2007. By the end of March, the fighting intensified in Mogadishu and more than a thousand people, mostly civilians, were killed. Combat deaths numbered 9

soldiers, 6 Somali soldiers, and an unknown number of insurgents.

Hawiye The Hawiye ( so, Hawiye, ar, بنو هوية, it, Hauija) is the largest Somali clan family. Members of this clan traditionally inhabit central and southern Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia ( Somali, Harar, Oromia and Afar regions) and the Nor ...

clan militiamen allied with the

clashed with TFG and

troops. In December 2007, the Ethiopian troops withdrew from the town of Guriel, and the

controlled Guriel after that.

had a big military base there to secure the road linking the two countries. By the end of December 2007 there were over 700,000

internally displaced people An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to leave their home but who remains within their country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the legal definitions of a refugee. A ...

and 6,000 civilians had been killed in

. The

said it was the worst ever humanitarian crises in Africa. The TFG claimed that the ICU was regrouping, but the

Ethiopian Government The government of Ethiopia () is the federal government of Ethiopia. It is structured in a framework of a federal parliamentary republic, whereby the prime minister is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. T ...

refuted this claim.

2008

In February 2008, Al Shabaab captured the town of

Dinsoor Dinsoor ( so, Diinsoor) is a town in the southwestern Bay region of Somalia.Waaxda Dhexe ee Istaatistikada, p.18 It is the center of the Dinsoor District. Demographics Dinsoor has a population of around 28,000 inhabitants. The broader Dinsoor Dis ...

after probing it several times. This marked a change in their strategy which previously focused mainly on the capital

. In late May after capturing the two towns near Kismayo. The Insurgents agreed not to attack Kismayo a city ruled by clan militia. A new Islamic court was opened in Jowhar, 90 km away from the capital Mogadishu. On March 3, 2008, the

launched an air strike on the Somali town of Dhoble. U.S. officials claimed the town was held by

Islamic extremists Islamic extremism, Islamist extremism, or radical Islam, is used in reference to extremist beliefs and behaviors which are associated with the Islamic religion. These are controversial terms with varying definitions, ranging from academic unde ...

, but gave few details to the press. It was reported that

Hassan Turki Sheikh Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki ( so, Hassan Abdullah Hirsii al-Turki, ar, حسن عبد الله حرسي التركي الجامعة; – 27 May 2015) was a Somali Islamist leader of al-Itihaad al-Islamiya (AIAI) and later of the Isla ...

was in the area. The same area was targeted by US bombers one year earlier. An air strike occurred on May 1 in

Dhusamareb Dusmareb ( so, Dhuusamareeb, ar, سمريب, it, Dusa Mareb) is the capital of Galmudug state in central Somalia. The city also serves as the administrative capital of the Galguduud province. Historically, the city was known as Daar Dheer or sim ...

. It killed the leader of Al-Shabaab Aden Hashi Eyrow along with another senior commander and several civilians; however, the attack did nothing to slow down the

Insurgency An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion against authority waged by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare from primarily rural base areas. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irregu ...

. After long talks in

Djibouti Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...

over a ceasefire between the TFG and the moderate

of the Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia, agreement was reached that the parliament would be doubled in size to include 200 representatives of the opposition alliance and 75 representatives of the civil society. A new president and prime minister would be elected by the new parliament, and a commission to look into crimes of war would be established. A new constitution was also agreed to be drafted shortly. In early December 2008,

announced it would withdraw its troops from

shortly, and later announced that it would first help secure the withdrawal of the AMISOM peacekeepers from

Burundi Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili language, Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French language, French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the ...

and

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

before withdrawing. The quick withdrawal of the AMISOM peacekeepers was seen as putting additional pressure on the

to provide peacekeeping.

2009

Somali troops on December 31, 2008, were seen by civilians packing up supplies and forwarding troop deployments except in the city of

. December 31, 2008 was supposed to be when the Ethiopian troops were to withdraw from

but it appears it will be several weeks after the resignation of President Yusuf earlier in December. With a power vacuum growing, it is unknown who will capitalize on the situation. On January 25, 2009, Ethiopian troops completely pulled out of

. Al-Shabaab captured

, where the TFG parliament was based, on January 26. Following the collapse of the TFG, pro- TFG moderate Islamist group Ahlu Sunnah continued to fight Al-Shabaab and captured a few towns. The former chairman of the

Islamic Courts Union The Islamic Courts Union ( so, Midowga Maxkamadaha Islaamiga) was a legal and political organization formed to address the lawlessness that had been gripping Somalia since the fall of the Siad Barre regime in 1991 during the Somali Civil War. Th ...

, moderate Islamist leader Sheikh

was elected to become the new President of a united Somali government signalling the end of the

marked by the resignation of

Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed ( so, Cabdulaahi Yuusuf Axmed, ar, عبدالله يوسف أحمد‎; 15 December 1934 – 23 March 2012) was a Somali politician and former colonel in the Somali National Army. He was one of the founders of the Somali ...

the previous month and a joint unity government of the ARS- TFG. President Sharif, 42, promised to " forge peace with east African neighbors, tackle rampant

piracy Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

offshore and rein in hardline

insurgents An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion against authority waged by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare from primarily rural base areas. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irreg ...

". "Analysts said Sharif had a real possibility of reuniting

, given his Islamist roots, the backing of

parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

and a feeling in once hostile Western nations that he should now be given a chance to try to stabilize the

Horn of Africa The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004), ...

nation". Sharif arrived in

as a president for the first time on February 7, 2009. Al-Shabaab and other radical

began firing at the new TFG president hours later. They accused the new President of accepting the

secular Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin ''saeculum'', "worldly" or "of a generation"), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. Anything that does not have an explicit reference to religion, either negativ ...

transitional government. Mediation had begun between the Islamic Party and the new Transitional Government of Sharif as well as a growing divide being reported in the Al Shabaab organization that controls much of southern

as a large number of Al Shabaab leaders who had held positions in government during the six-month reign of the

in 2006 had met behind closed doors with the President of the Transitional Government and the TFG had announced that

Sharia law Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the Five Pillars of Islam, religious precepts of Islam and is based on the Islamic holy books, sacred scriptures o ...

would be implemented in

, but it had not acted on it. Sharif's forces and

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the Africa ...

troops clashed with the Islamic Party and Al Shabaab forces, leading to at least 23 death. Pro-TFG militias were allegedly being trained by

, while the newly formed Islamist Party had been established by

-based Sheikh Aweys.

Consequences

War crimes allegations

The force of about 3,000 Ethiopian troops faced war crimes allegations by human rights groups. The

who invited them were also accused of

human rights abuses Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hum ...

and war crimes including murder, rape, assault, and looting by human rights groups In their December 2008 report 'So much to Fear'

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...

warned that since the

ns had intervened in 2006

was facing a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale not witnessed since the early 1990s. They went on to accuse the TFG of terrorising the citizens of

and the Ethiopian soldiers for increasing violent criminality.

"Endless war"

A 2010 report published in ''Accord'' Issue 21 entitled Endless War states that:

The three years from 2006 to 2008 were catastrophic for Somalis. Military occupation, a violent insurgency, rising jihadism, and massive population displacement has reversed the incremental political and economic progress achieved by the late 1990s in south-central Somalia. With 1.3 million people displaced by fighting since 2006, 3.6 million people in need of emergency food aid, and 60,000 Somalis a year fleeing the country, the people of south-central Somalia face the worst humanitarian crisis since the early 1990s.

Casualties and displacement

In December 2008, the '' Elman Peace and Human Rights Organisation'' said it had verified that 16,210 civilians had been killed and 29,000 wounded since the start of the war in December 2006. In September of that year 1.9 million displaced civilians from homes in

alone during the year 2007 had been documented.

Amisom

On 20 February 2007, the

authorised the

to deploy a peacekeeping mission. The aim of the peacekeeping mission was to support a national

reconciliation Reconciliation or reconcile may refer to: Accounting * Reconciliation (accounting) Arts, entertainment, and media Sculpture * ''Reconciliation'' (Josefina de Vasconcellos sculpture), a sculpture by Josefina de Vasconcellos in Coventry Cathedra ...

congress in Somalia. The military component consists of troops drawn from Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia who are deployed in six sectors covering south and central Somalia.

Suicide attacks

Islamist fighters in Somalia opened a completely new aspect in the Somali Civil War:

suicide attacks A suicide attack is any violent Strike (attack), attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has suicide, accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have oc ...

. Here is a list of reported attacks: *On June 3, 2007, a truck bomb exploded outside the home of the Somali interim prime minister,

Ali Mohamed Ghedi Ali Mohammed Gedi ( so, Cali Maxamed Geeddi, ar, علي محمد جيدي) (born 2 October 1952), popularly known as Ali Gedi, was the Prime Minister of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia from 2004 to 2007. He was relatively un ...

. At least six people were killed and 10 injured – most of them bodyguards. *On February 22, 2009, al-Shabaab carried out a

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

car bomb A car bomb, bus bomb, lorry bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), is an improvised explosive device designed to be detonated in an automobile or other vehicles. Car bombs can be roughly divided ...

attack against an

military base A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. A military base always provides accommodations for ...

, killing at least 11 Burundian peacekeepers. *On December 3, 2009, an Al-Shabaab militant dressed as a woman entered a medical school graduation ceremony and blew himself up killing 23 people including three ministers of the

Coalition government

Prime Minister Nur Hassan of the transitional government and Sheikh

of opposition group

Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia The Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) was a Somali political party. A successor to the Islamic Courts Union, it was launched in September 2007. History of the ARS Members of the Islamic Courts Union and Somali opposition leaders ...

signed a power sharing deal in

that was brokered by the

. According to the deal, Ethiopian troops withdrew from

, giving their bases to the transitional government,

peacekeepers and moderate Islamist groups led by ARS. Following the

withdrawal, the transitional government expanded its parliament to include the opposition and elected Sharif as its new president on January 31, 2009.

Continued occupation

Despite the Djibouti Agreement there has been a continued occupation of Somalia by the Ethiopian National Defence Force, Ethiopian army.

continues to campaign for the withdrawal of the occupying Ethiopian forces. In May 2020 the Forum for National Parties which he leads, described the presence of non-AMISOM Ethiopian troops in Somalia as;

A blatant disregard for the longstanding agreement between the Federal Republic of Somalia and the AMISOM troop-contributing countries (TCC), which clearly defines the scope of the African Union peacekeeping mission in our country.

The letter went on to accuse the Ethiopian National Defence Force, ENDF of a 'cavalier attitude' in there response to having shot down a civilian plane in Berdale which was carrying medical supplies for assistance in the COVID-19 pandemic in Somalia, COVID-19 pandemic. The Forum for National Parties warned that the

's intention was to;

intervene in the upcoming federal parliamentary and presidential elections, and to intimidate opposition groups all across the country

They blamed the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Madeira, for not only failing to secure the withdrawal of the non-AMISOM Ethiopian troops but having worked in collusion with them to interfere in the South West election in 2018 and Jubaland election in August 2019. On 13 November 2020 ''Bloomberg'' reported that

withdrew thousands of troops from Somalia and redeployed them to assist the

in the Tigray conflict.

Continuation of the conflict

Ahlu Sunna

In February 2011

militias attacked Al Shabaab in central

including killing an Islamist commander. Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a, Ahlu Sunna clan militias, reportedly armed by

, retook control of Galgaduud's provincial capital Dusmareb, Dhusamareb and the trading town of Guriel in fierce battles that killed upwards of 100 people.

Weapons

The Ethiopian Army was equipped with predominantly Soviet Union, Soviet-made weapons while TFG and Islamist weapons vary, having mostly small arms. The following table should not be considered exhaustive.

Key men

Transitional Federal Government (TFG)

An August 24, 2006 article in the Sudan Tribune identified several fraction groups involved with TFG military units: *

– TFG president, former leader of the Somali Salvation Democratic Front, SSDF. * Mohamed Omar Habeeb (Mohamed Dheere) – controlled the Jowhar region with the help of Ethiopia; after losing in Mogadishu as part of the ARPCT, regrouped his militia in Ethiopia and since returned (see Battle of Jowhar). * Muuse Suudi Yalahow – Controlled Medina District in Mogadishu but was forced to flee by the ICU. Has since returned to the city. * Hussein Mohamed Farrah – son of late General Mohamed Farrah Aidid. Although his father was a key anti-U.N. force in the mid-1990s, Farrah is a naturalized U.S. citizen and former U.S. Marine who controlled Villa Somalia. Former leader of the SRRC militia. The Sudan Tribune says Farrah is in the patronage of Ethiopia, and Western interests see him as their best hope to improve Somali-Western relations. * Abdi Hasan Awale Qeybdiid – former finance minister under Gen. Aidid; arrested in Sweden for war crimes, but later released due to lack of evidence. * Colonel Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud – affiliated with the Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA). Came to power after his militia (with the help of Ethiopian paramilitary forces) drove out Aidid's militia from Baidoa, which became the seat of the transitional government. Currently TFG Minister of Finance. * Mohamed Qanyare Afrah – former Security Minister and member of ARPCT * Barre Aadan Shire "Hiiraale" – leader of the Juba Valley Alliance (JVA); controls Kismayo (and until its loss to the ICU, Marka region). * Hassan Abdullah Qalaad

Islamic Court Union (ICU)

, ICU chairman and head of the ICU executive committee * Hassan Dahir Aweys, head of the ICU shura council, former Somali colonel, listed by the U.S. as a terrorist for heading Osama bin Laden-supported Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya in the 1990s.

Islamist leaders

* Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki, led forces which captured Juba Valley, on U.S. terrorist list for taking over the leadership of Aweys' group * Abu Taha al-Sudan, former Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya, wanted by the U.S. as the financier of the 1998 United States embassy bombings and involvement in the 2002 Mombasa hotel bombing *Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, listed as a terrorist by the U.S. for reported involvement in the 2002 Mombasa hotel bombing, said to have been a target of the U.S. AC-130 raid in January 2007 *Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, listed as a terrorist by the U.S. for reported involvement in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings. Some sources claim that he was a target of the U.S. AC-130 raid. His death by the AC-130 raid was later reported by Somali authorities, but denied by US officials. *Aden Hashi Farah "Eyrow", targeted by the U.S. AC-130 raid that killed eight people on January 8, 2007. Was named Al-Qaeda's leader in Somalia in March 2007. He was killed in a U.S. airstrike on May 1, 2008.

References

External links

So Much To Fear
{{DEFAULTSORT:Somalia War, 2006-09 Somalia War (2006–2009), Somali Civil War, * 2000s in Somalia 2000s conflicts Wars involving Burundi Wars involving Ethiopia Wars involving Ghana Wars involving Kenya Wars involving Malawi Wars involving Nigeria Wars involving Somalia Wars involving Uganda Wars involving the United Kingdom Wars involving the United States