Ali-Sabieh

History

During World War II, troops from the Harar Governorate under General Guglielmo Nasi attacked the fort of Ali-Sabieh multiple times between 1 and 10 July. There was also some skirmishing over the Ethio-Djibouti Railways. On 10 July, when the government learned that the armistice was not yet put into effect in French Somaliland, President Philippe Pétain, a collaborationist government at Vichy, sent General Gaëtan Germain as his personal representative to correct the situation. Negotiations at Dewele, Italian East Africa, on the local implementation of the armistice were finally completed on 8 August. With the Italian invasion of British Somaliland, Italians completely surrounded the territory.