How Massacre of 47 Civilians Changed Somalia's History

[Captain24]

This article was written in 1990 on San Francisco Chronicle

The road to Gesira Beach leads through a landscape of Somali history, stretching from the white stone walls of the old port of this city where ships from ancient Arabia once docked, past shanty slums in the desert suburbs where camels ramble the dunes, to Finnish-made windmills on the Indian Ocean surf that provide electricity for the coast.

Twenty miles south of Mogadishu, near flatlands where nomads extract salt from the turquoise sea water, the road makes a sharp right and twists past an inconspicuous sandy gorge. It was here, last summer, that another chapter in Somali history was written.

""We found shoes here. So many shoes. And blood on the sand. There were cartridges from bullets every where," said a young Somali engineer, standing near the gorge, recalling his visit to this place last July, one day after 47 civilians were rounded up and shot to death, reportedly by government troops. ""We should never forget this place and what happened here."

The date of the carnage was Friday, July 14, a day on which many things changed in this East African country of 8 million.

Before then, Western countries, including the United States, were inclined to continue limited political backing for the 20-year-old government of Mohamed Siad Barre, the Somali ruler who for many years had been a staunch ally of the United States in its struggle with the Soviet Union for influence in the Horn of Africa.

That backing was sustained despite growing charges from international human-rights groups that the government was committing atrocities against its own people.

High on a list of offenses was the destruction of the northern city of Hargeisa, Somalia's second largest, where thousands of civilians died in 1988 during random bombing and rocket attacks by Somali armed forces in their war against anti-government rebels. U.S. AID ASSAILED

The U.S. government - Somalia's chief source of economic and military aid since 1978 - also was assailed by these human-rights groups for playing an indirect role in the killing in the north.

Critics pointed in particular at an ill-timed shipment of $1.4 million worth of automatic rifles and ammunition to the government in June 1988. The guns arrived in the middle of a period when the Somali army ""purposely murdered" at least 5,000 civilians in that fighting, a report prepared for the State Department last fall said.

Then, last July, the horror came to Mogadishu.

During demonstrations by Muslims protesting arrest of their religious leaders, panic-stricken government troops went on a shooting spree, killing at least 450 civilians here, according to Westerners who witnessed the carnage.

""It was the first time I ever saw bullets fired from a gun. I can still see the blue flames that shot out of the barrels," said a Somali employee of an international aid organization, who, like all the Somalis interviewed for this story, asked to remain unidentified.

""The soldiers were manning guns on land cruisers. They shot at anyone who moved, even little children who were trying to run away.

""This was happening all over the city, in every neighborhood," the aid worker said. BEACH MASSACRE

Many of those killed here on July 14 were Issaks, members of a northern Somali clan whose members make up the rebel Somali National Movement. It is one of four rebel groups currently fighting to topple the Siad Barre government.

During the height of the bloodshed, 48 Issak men were rounded up at random by government troops known as the Red Hats and driven in trucks to Gesira Beach, according to Westerners and Somali dissidents.

The Red Hats, who are members of Siad Barre's ruling Marehan clan, ordered the handcuffed prisoners into the sandy gorge and fired point blank into them, according to a young Issak man who said he was the lone survivor of the executions.

After being shot in the shoulder, he pretended he was dead and later escaped north to the neighboring country of Djibouti. There, in a refugee camp months later, he told his story to a reporter with the BBC.

""Since that day, the feeling has been that anyone is fair game, even in Mogadishu," said an Issak. ""I am the only member of my family still here. Everyone else has managed to leave the country. Many, many families are trying to leave." U.S. POLICY CHANGE

The executions helped prompt a reversal in U.S. policy. Earlier that month, the Bush administration had asked Congress to grant Somalia more than $20 million in emergency economic support funds for the aid-starved government.

The Mogadishu and Gesira Beach killings, however, not only swayed Congress to strike down the request but also persuaded the administration to distance itself further from Siad Barre. Since last July, the United States has cut the size of its embassy staff in Somalia by more than half, from 189 to 85.

The violence also appeared to help bring about a greater unanimity of purpose within the U.S. Embassy, where officials had differed sharply over how the situation in Somalia should be reported to Washington.

""Before July 14," said one Western official, ""I think there was a tendency to give Siad Barre the benefit of the doubt. But after July 14, no more."

The U.S. policy retreat clearly is facilitated by the political changes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and by a reduction in East-West tensions that has diminished the strategic significance once attached to the Horn of Africa. As the Soviets have backed away from their ally, Marxist Ethiopia, in recent months, so the United States is withdrawing from Somalia. GOVERNMENT DENIALS

In an interview last month, Siad Barre assailed human-rights organizations for what he considered to be inaccurate reporting on his country. Recently, the New York-based group Africa Watch reported that the Somali government has been directly responsible for the deaths of more than 50,000 people in the past 19 months.

Siad Barre said his soldiers act only under orders from their officers and that the officers have ordered them to ""kill no one," although they must act ""in self-defense." He acknowledged that civilians were killed during protests last July but denied that the Gesira Beach executions took place.

Several months ago, Siad Barre insisted, he ordered a parliamentary investigation of the incidents. However, the findings - if any were compiled - have not been made public.

No arrests have been made in connection with the Mogadishu or Gesira Beach killings. The Red Hats are under the command of military chief of staff Maslah Mohamed Siad, the president's son.

Most Western analysts said it is unlikely that Siad Barre ordered the killings himself. They said the violence underscored the lack of control that the octogenarian ruler has over his armed forces.

[Captain24]

So Siyad Barre didn't order the massacre according to Western Diplomats and It was Maslax M Siyad who was the head of Ret Brets according to this article?

Isaaqs should get after Maslax M.Siyad who's still roaming around

[paidmonk]

Isaaqs should get after Maslax M.Siyad who's still roaming around

You think Riyaale will allow his subjects to go after a former comrade?

[Captain24]

^^^ Good Point Paidmonk.

[CoolPoisons]

imise jeer baa topickan la furay Dumb dhabyaco

Worry about what Qeybdid or ina Omar Jess did to U instead of bring dacaayada mucaraadkii in 1990. Waxa ka dhacay in Jazira some soldiers including Darod, Isaq and Hawiye baa ka dambeeyey. Khilaafna wuu jiray. Listen to Canjex's video.

Btw Afbijo xasuuq using Ethiopians in 1985 will get his justice soon enough

Xasuuqii ka dhacay ‘Tuulo Eeley’, Spet.1985tii
Tuuladaas oo ku taal xad-beeneedka Soomaaliya/Itoobiya ayaa waxaa isku gadaamey ciidamo wata gawaarida gaashaamaan oo aad u hubeysan. Waa Ciidan ka tirsan Jabhaddii ugu horreysey oo Soomaaliya ka aas-aasanta ‘SODAF’ , kolkii dambana u xuub-siibatey ‘SSDF’. Guddoomiyihii Jabhaddaas Col.Cabdullahi Yusuf Axmad ayaa ciidammidiisii amar ku siiyey iney halkaa tagaan oo laayaan itiii Maxamad Siyaad Barre, Madaxweynuihii hore ee Soomaaliya ay isku qabiil yihiin.
Ciidaankaas, iyagoo amarkii la soo siiyey fulinaya ayey dadkii ay Tuuladaas ku qab-qabteen waxey kala baxeen, dabeedna rasaas ku fureeen oo dileen intii ‘Mareexaan’ ahayd, waxeyna kala ahaayeen:

Reer Diini
1. Jaamac C.. Aadan (Harag Weyn)
2. Saciid Jaamac C. Aadan
3. Xasan Siyaad Cali Kooshin
4. Cabdinuur Xasan Barre Siad Cali Kooshin
5. Faarax Bootaan (Daab-Weyn)
6. Maxamad Guuled Maxamad Aadan
7. Cabdiweli Warsame Ciise
8. Maxamad Cabdiraxman Mahad
9. Cali Cigaal Giir
10.Xasan Cali Odawaa
11.Xasan Siyaad Jaamac
12.Dheel X. Maxamad Faarax Guuleed
13.Cabdikariim Xasan Warsame
14.Cabdisalaan Axmad Aadan

Reer Siyaad Xuseen
15.Xasan Faarax Diirshe
16.Cabdulle Faarax Diirshe
17.Xuseen Xasan Faarax Diirshe
18.Ciise Cali Jimcaale
19.Axmad Cali Maxamudd (Xaraare)
20.Yuusuf Maxamad Cabdi
21.Jaamac Jimcaale (Dhaga-Dheere)

Wagar-dhac
22.Calas (Dheere) Raage
23.Cabdulqaadir Maxamad Cabdulle
24.Mire Warsame Maxamud
24.Cali Shidaale Raage
25.Haambe Maxamed Cigaal
26.Maxamad Ducaakle Xirsi
27.Cali Jaamac Warsame (Dhaga-Fiin)
28. Maxamad C. Diirshe
29.Dhaga-Weyne Bootaan Cali Yare
30.Aadan Cali Xiireey
31.Dhaga-Caleen Maxamad Aadan
32.Saynle Abshir Xaashi (Gallaf)

Celi
33.Saleebaan Xuseen Cabdiraxmaan
34.Bashiir Yuusuf Axmad
35.Xuseen Jaamac Cali (Haaraa)
36.Axmad Cabdi Yuusuf
37.Aadan Cusmaan Jibriil
38.Cumar Xasan Nuur (Cunko)
39.Bashiir Tahaliil Ciise
40.Nuur Maxamauud Bareer

[Captain24]

Cool Boon, I didn't write an article, and It's an article from San Fransisco Newspaper, so what propaganda are you talking about?

[CoolPoisons]

Cool Boon, I didn't write an article, and It's an article from San Fransisco Newspaper, so what propaganda are you talking about?

Dumb Bantu. an article written in 1990 when the state was collapsing and the rebels oo markasta warbaahinta ka dhex muuqda buu xaqiiq u arkaa. No wonder why Ur a security guard. Ileen security guardka waa isku caqli

[Captain24]

So basically, You are saying this didn't happen?

[CoolPoisons]

So basically, You are saying this didn't happen?

Waraa do ive to spell out for U. I said listen to Canjex's interview done by the IIdors themselves. Marehan as a clan had nothing to do with and there were no red berets. There were soldiers from every qabiil including IIdor and way isku qilaafan. Some renegade soldiers baa fuliyey waxaan and Guddi ayaa la sameeyey.

Guddi that was gonna investigate but then the civil war happend.

[Cumar-Labasuul]

Allah ha unaxriisto kuwa ku dhintay maalinta, A woman related on my mothers sides who lives in france use to live in Mogadisho and that night 7 men were taken from her house inlcuding her husband, father, brothers and brother-in-laws.

[CoolPoisons]

Allah ha unaxriisto kuwa ku dhintay maalinta, A woman related on my mothers sides who lives in france use to live in Mogadisho and that night 7 men were taken from her house inlcuding her husband, father, brothers and brother-in-laws.

no one was taken from their house U dumb fock. Waa kuwa muhaaradeyey. Teeda kale, IIdor beenta kali eyey ku fiican yihin. Markii kooxda SNM Gadabursiga iyo Ogadenka ku laayey bey waxay daheen Ciidanka Qaranka ka dambeeyey.

A whole Somali clan (Rahanweyn) lost 300,000 people in 1 year in 1993 kuwana waxay ka cabaadayan sheeko la buunbuuniyey


Waa dhaqanka Somalia

[Captain24]

We found shoes here. So many shoes. And blood on the sand. There were cartridges from bullets every where," said a young Somali engineer, standing near the gorge, recalling his visit to this place last July, one day after 47 civilians were rounded up and shot to death, reportedly by government troops. ""We should never forget this place and what happened here."

It seem the Isaaqs never forget that day, and till today they feel they don't belong to Somalia.

[Cumar-Labasuul]

Allah ha unaxriisto kuwa ku dhintay maalinta, A woman related on my mothers sides who lives in france use to live in Mogadisho and that night 7 men were taken from her house inlcuding her husband, father, brothers and brother-in-laws.

no one was taken from their house U dumb fock. Waa kuwa muhaaradeyey. Teeda kale, IIdor beenta kali eyey ku fiican yihin. Markii kooxda SNM Gadabursiga iyo Ogadenka ku laayey bey waxay daheen Ciidanka Qaranka ka dambeeyey.

A whole Somali clan (Rahanweyn) lost 300,000 people in 1 year in 1993 kuwana waxay ka cabaadayan sheeko la buunbuuniyey


Waa dhaqanka Somalia

war adigu indho adeega muxu ku taraa, were you there to tell my aunt that nothing happened that they were taken from their house nacas yahow islayaab.

[CoolPoisons]

Allah ha unaxriisto kuwa ku dhintay maalinta, A woman related on my mothers sides who lives in france use to live in Mogadisho and that night 7 men were taken from her house inlcuding her husband, father, brothers and brother-in-laws.

no one was taken from their house U dumb fock. Waa kuwa muhaaradeyey. Teeda kale, IIdor beenta kali eyey ku fiican yihin. Markii kooxda SNM Gadabursiga iyo Ogadenka ku laayey bey waxay daheen Ciidanka Qaranka ka dambeeyey.

A whole Somali clan (Rahanweyn) lost 300,000 people in 1 year in 1993 kuwana waxay ka cabaadayan sheeko la buunbuuniyey


Waa dhaqanka Somalia

war adigu indho adeega muxu ku taraa, were you there to tell my aunt that nothing happened that they were taken from their house nacas yahow islayaab.

Waraa ciyaal suuq. I was in Mogadishu around that time. Sheekadan waan maqlay. Gudina waa la sameeyey. Even Canjex who was there said ayagoo muhaaraya baa la qabtay.

[Cumar-Labasuul]

Waxan ku idhi guriga habayartey maalintaa maad joogtey, how could you possibly know, wallahi aadi ma tihi you defend murderers because just because waa tolkaa, now me just recently the samaroon guys who were slaughtered by my toll if I see them wallahi I would kill them if I had a choose, lakiin adigu it's toll over everything.