SIGNIFICANT DATES IN SOMALI HISTORY/CHRONOLOGY TO RESTORE HP

[Koreeye]

30 Jun 60 Northern Somalia achieves independence from the UK.

1 Jul 60 Southern Somalia is given independence by the Italians. The two independent states
voluntarily join in a single republic. Aden Abdulleh Osman is elected President.

10 Dec 61 Attempted coup. Following the dismissal of Minister of Health, Suk Ali Guimnale, a
group of military officers attempted to take control of a military unit in the north.

The goal of the group was to take over administration of the north The failed coup
leaders were promptly placed on trial and imprisoned until January 1965.

Apr-May 63 Growing dissatisfaction in northern Somalia with being governed from Mogadishu
rises to the surface after new tax measures are imposed. Local traditional leaders, as
well as the governor, declare their support to secession.

2 May 63 A state of siege is declared in Hargeisa.

10 Jun 67 Al Abdar-Rashid Shermarke is elected President by the National Assembly.

Mar 69 In open and free elections, the government party obtains approximately 40% of the
vote, with the remainder distributed among 64 clan-based parties.

15 Oct 69 President Abderrachid Ali Shermarke is assassinated by a policeman.

21 Oct 69 Successful coup. The army, with the help of the police, takes power in a bloodless
coup, and General Mohammed Siad Barre installs the Republic of Somalia.

Oct 72 President Barre announces the choice of Latin script for the Somali alphabet.
End 72 An American oil company, Tenneco, announces the discovery of a large deposit of
natural gas in the Bale region of the Ogaden. Only 30 miles from the Somali
frontier, and in the belief that the gas find might indicate substantial oil deposits, the
Ethiopian military deploys substantial forces along the frontier.

Early 73 There are reports of skirmishes between Somali and Ethiopian forces in the frontier
area.

15 Feb 74 Somalia joins the Arab League, sponsored by Saudi Arabia. The Saudis hoped by
this action to neutralize the growing Soviet influence in Mogadishu.

11 Jul 74 Soviet President Podgorny and Somali leader Siad Barre sign of Treaty of Friendship
and Cooperation in Moscow.

Mid-75 Relations between the Siad Barre government and religious groups become strained.
The government executes 10 sheikhs for opposing the government's policies stressing
sexual equality.
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Jul 1976 Single-party state proclaimed under the Somali Rcvolutionary Socialist Party.

3 Feb 77 There is a shootout in the Ethiopian dergue (junta). Chief of State Taferi Bante and
and several of his supporters are killed. The new Ethiopian leader, Mengistu Haile
Mariam, is congratulated the following day by the Soviet Ambassador. Leaders in
Mogadishu are concerned by this turn of events.

13 Mar 77 Fidel Castro visits Mogadishu. Hoping to retain influence in both Ethiopia and
Somalia, the Soviet Union requests Fidel to act as the Soviet go-between in the Horn.
Fidel goes on to Addis Ababa the next day. Following his personal invitations,
Presidents Mengistu and Siad Barre meet in Aden on 16 March 1977.
At the meeting, Castro proposes that the two leaders put aside their differences and join their
countries, plus Djibouti (due for independence in June) and the People's Democratic
Republic of Yemen (PDRY) in a "Socialist Union of the Horn of Africa." Barre
angrily rejects the proposal.'

15 May 77 Western Somali Liberation Front (WSLF) forces blow up two trestles on the Djibouti-
Addis Ababa railway, closing rail access to Ethiopia for over 13 months.

23 Jul 77 Somali forces in the Ogaden launch full scale attacks on Ethiopian military outposts
and register significant gains.

26 Jul 77 The United States and the United Kingdom announce that they will provide arms to
the Somali government. The French government quickly joins the group.

17 Aug 77 The Soviet Union can no longer sit on the fence in the Ogaden and makes its first
public criticism of Somali actions.

Late Aug 77 Siad Barre visits Moscow and makes a final plea to the Soviet government to
renounce its support of the Mengistu regime in Ethiopia. On his return trip, he stops
in Cairo and meets with President Sadat.

7 Sep 77 Ethiopia breaks diplomatic relations with Somalia.

13 Sep 77 The Soviet Union halts all arms deliveries to Somalia.
Siad Barre makes an impromptu trip to Riyaad to request monetary support.

18 Oct 77 In a highly successful commando operation, German counterterrorist forces recapture
a Lufthansa aircaft hijacked to Mogadishu while on a flight between Mallorca and
Frankfurt. The terrorists had called for the liberation of 11 German and two Turkish
prisoners held in German prisons. Almost simultaneously, the German government
announced the suicides of Adreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin and Jean-Carl Raspe,
Baader-Meinhof band killers, while being held in prison.

21 Oct 77 Soviet advisors begin to leave Somalia. Siad Barre rails at the Soviets.


I Robert G. Patman, The Soviet Union in the Horn of Africa: The Diplomacy of Intervention and Diseugaglement,
pp. 202-203.

Continued




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13 Nov 77 Somalia expels all remaining Soviet military advisors and abrogates the 1974 Treaty
of Friendship and Cooperation with the Soviet Union.

26 Nov 77 The Soviet Union launches what would turn out to be the largest sea and airlift in
African history, moving $I billion in arms, 12,000 Cuban troops and 1,500 Soviet
military advisors to Ethiopia.

Jan 78 Ethiopian counteroffensive begins to take effect.

5 Mar 78 Ethiopian forces retake Jijiga.

8 Mar 78 Somali troops leave the Ogaden.

9 Mar 78 Siad Barre announces the removal of his last troops from the Ogaden.

Apr 78 Army troops, angered by the defeat in the Ogaden, attempt to assassinate Siad Barre.
The coup plotters, mostly air force personnel, were primarily Majertain clan
members. The leaders are able to escape the country; they form the Somali Salvation
Front (SSF).

Dec 79 In a parody of an election, President Siad Barre is re-elected by the National
Assembly for another 6-year term.

Jan 80 Maj. Gen. Siad Barre elected President by the National Assembly.

Apr 80 The U.S. signs an agreement with Somalia for the use of Berbera.

Apr 81 The Somali National Movement (SNM) is founded in London.

Jul 82 Using the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF) as its political cover, Ethiopian
military forces occupy the towns of Balanbale and Goldogob.

31 Dec 84 Elections for the National Assembly. The Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party is the
only party to present candidates, taking all 171 elected (of a total of 177) seats.

Apr 85 Somalia restores relations with Libya, broken in August 1981 when it became
apparent that Qadhafi was funding both the SNM and the SSDF. By restoring
relations, Siad Barre reportedly hoped to persuade Qadhafi to halt aid to the two rebel
organizations and to shift that assistance to Somalia's government. Siad's diplomatic
effort is unsuccessful.
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Oct 85 SNM elements bomb the Hargeisa officers' club.

7 Apr 86 Siad orders the arrest of over 200 officers - mainly air force - said to be implicated
in coup plotting. The officers arrested are primarily from the Hawiye and Majertain
clan groups. Many had been trained in the United States. There are rumors that
events which led to the downfall of pro-U.S. dictators in the Philippines and Haiti
persuade Siad that the U.S. plans a similar fate for him.

Mid-Apr 86 Siad orders the arrest of 15 fundamentalist Islamic teachers in northern Somalia. The
nationality of the preachers include Egyptians, Iranians and Saudis.

23 May 86 President Barre is badly injured in an automobile accident in Mogadishu and is
medevaced to Saudi Arabia. The accident sparks a fierce power struggle among
senior army officers.24 The struggle is apparently won by a "constitutional faction,"
led by Brig. Gen. Mahammad 'Ali Samantar, the first vice president. Samantar,
although a toumal, has the support of the army which appreciates his honesty and
administrative abilities and hopes that he can establish a government of national
conciliation. Opposed to this faction are the "Marehan faction," composed primarily
of members of the president's immediate family, including Foreign Minister
Abdirahman Jama Barre, the president's son "Maslah," who had made his fortune as
the head of the army's quartermaster corps, and the president's senior wife, the
formidable Mama Khadija.


23 Jun 86 Siad Barre returns to Mogadishu from Saudi Arabia. His actions demonstrate to anl
that age has begun to impair his faculties. Barre takes special care to humiliate
Samantar publicly, by calling him an "incompetent" in the presence of other senior
officers. He refuses, however, to obey the recommendations of his family to fire
Samantar and place a dependable Marehan in his place.

23 Dec 86 Siad Barre is re-elected President by the national assembly, without opposition.

Feb 87 Siad announces a new cabinet, shifting Mohammed Ali Samantar from Ministry of
Defense to newly-created post of Prime Minister.

Dec 87 Siad Barre announces new cabinet with several controversial appointments, including
move of General Aden Nur from his post as one of three vice ministers for Defense
to Minister of Defense. Jama Barre is made Minister of Finance. He is a Marehan
and a firm opponent of the IMF-backed economic reform measures. General Aden
Nur was a vice minister of defense closely linked to Siad's son, who commands the
influential 77th military sector in Mogadishu. He has been closely associated with
measures to contain the influence of non-Marehan in the government.

21-22 Mar 88 Second face-to-face meeting between Somali and Ethiopian leaders in Djibouti.
Somali military units were at the time under growing pressure in the North.

Following
this meeting, the Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Berhanu Baych, and Somali's
Deputy Foreign Minister, Ahmed Mahommoud Farah, continues the negotiations in
Mogadishu on 1-2 April 1988.
24 LAitin and Samatar, ibid., pp. 168 el seq.
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4 Apr 88 Accord with Ethiopia calling for normalization of relations. Siad encourages the
Western Somali Liberation Front to avoid further confrontation with Ethiopian troops
which are withdrawn from the frontier area.


27 May 88 Somali National Movement-supported guerrillas open offensive, taking Burao and
attacking Hargeisa. The road to Berbera is blocked. It is believed that this offensive
is a direct reaction to warming relations between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa.
Government troops, unable to defeat the poorly-armed and badly-led SNM forces,
turn their heavy weapons against the civilian portions of Hargeisa and Berbera,
devastating both towns and killing ten of thousands of local inhabitants. Tensions rise
quickly in the Somali military and several officers and men reportedly refuse orders
to proceed to the north. The SNM forces appear to have great support among the
native Isaaq population of the Northern region. Although, in the past, Siad has been
generally able to encourage Ogadeni support for increased WSLF activity as a
counterweight for suspected Ethiopian military moves in the border area, there seems
little support for Siad's narrowly-based regime.


3 Jun 88 The UN evacuates its personnel from Hargeisa and northern Somalia.


30 Jun 88 Amnesty International accuses the Siad regime of "systematic torture of prisoners."

12 Jul 88 A Somali air force pilot crashes his MiG 17 into Djibouti territorial waters and
requests political asylum.

Sep 88 The government sends loyal Marehan forces north to combat the continuing pressure
from SNM and other dissidents. To compensate for the withdrawal of loyalist forces,
President Siad Barre has the presidential palace reinforced with anti-aircraft and other
heavy weapons.





Nov 88 The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Jean-Pierre Hocki, announces that the
UNHCR will gradually reduce its presence in Somalia, with plans to terminate the
program by the end of 1990. This unprecedented decision on the UNHCR follows
charges and investigations of wide-scale abuses and corruption in the program.23

3 Feb 89 Secretary of State Baker meets with Prime Minister Mohammed Ali Samantar in
Washington. Baker states that assistance to Somali cannot be restored until the
government of Somali can demonstrate proper respect to human rights.

8 Mar 89 Responding to continuing problems in the Northwest and Togdheer regions, the
government appoints a 3-man committee to look into the matter.

II Apr 89 in yet another cabinet reshuffle, Finance Minister Jama Barre moves back to Foreign
Affairs, Mohammed Sheikh Osman leaves the President's office for the Ministry of
Finance, and Aden Nur is dropped from the government.

Jul 89 Following the fall of Nur, a fellow Ogadeni, Col. Ahmed O.nar, former chief of staff
of the 26th military district, defects to the SNM.

2 Le Moede. 16 novembre 1988, p. 3.



9 Jul 89 The Catholic archbishop of Mogadishu, Salvatore Colombo, is murdered by an
unidentified assassin. Colombo had held the position since 1975.


14 Jul 89 Following Friday services, riots break out in Mogadishu in protest against the recent
arrest of several sheikhs accused of complicity in the archbishop's murder. At least
47 rioters are killed by Barre's police. It is believed that several lsaaq and Hawiye
tribesmen are killed in reprisal. General Mohammed Siad "Maslali," the president's
son, takes personal charge of the repressive operations. Arms are said to be provided
to Marehan clansmen in the city for protection from the city's majority Hawiye
population
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24 Jul 89 Aden Nur and former Interior Minister Abdullah Ba'adle are arrested in a crackdown
on important Ogadeni and Hawiye members.

29 Aug 89 The Somali Socialist Party announces its approval of Siad Barre's declaration of
intention to introduce multiparty political elections by the end of 1990.

1 Sep 89 In Rome, Prime Minister Lt Gen Mohammed Ali Samantar requests Italian mediation
to end the conflict with the SNM.



20 Sep 89 Government forces, in hot pursuit of a number of southern Ogadeni members of the
Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM), enter Kenya near the town of Liboi. Four
Kenyan policemen are killed, with four wounded. The Kenyan government protests
the incursion, deaths, and destruction of a telecommunications station.

17 Oct 89 The government of Libya denies that it has sent forces to Mogadishu to prop up the
Siad Barre government.

21 Oct 89 The 20th anniversary of Siad Barre's seizure of power passes without much celebration.



5 Nov 89 A committee is appointed to set up the rules for multiparty elections.

12-13 Nov 89 A group of Hawiye officers and men belonging to the 4th division at Galka'yo, in the
Mudug area of the central region, mutiny. General Barre's son, "Moslah," leads a
force of Marchan clansmen to suppress the mutiny. Punishment is meted to local
Hawiye villages.

5 DOc 89 A mutiny of Hawiye members in Mogadishu breaks out in protest to the treatment of
their families in Mudug. They join with the SNM in a vain attempt to capture
Hargeisa.



9 Jan 90 Prime Minister Mohammed Ali Samantar is dismissed because of his inability to stifle
the Hawiye protests. The president's half-brother, Jama Barre, loses the Foreign
Ministry.


20 Jan 90 Africa Watch, following a 6-month investigation, reports that over 50,000 Somali
civilians had been killed in the previous 19 months during a campaign by government
forces to quell the several rebel movements threatening the regime.
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15 Feb 90 Siad seemingly decides that no reforms are possible; he reappoints Samantar. There
is a substantial government change.

late Mar/ The SNM has a well-publicized 6th congress in Ethiopia. Ahmed Mohammed
20 Apr 90 "Silanyo" cedes the chairmanship to Abdirahman Ahmed Ali.

30 Apr 90 The government of Somalia restores the legality of the use of qat in "response to the
desire of the people." It had been outlawed in March 1983.

23 May 90 A manifesto signed by 114 political moderates, including many Hawiye tribesmen
deposed by Siad Barre in his 1969 coup, is published. The manifesto calls for
formation of a provisional government and for a national conference to reconcile the
various ethnic groups now engaged in fighting and subversion.




11 Jun 90 In response to the above, nearly half of the signers are arrested, including former
President Aden Abdullah Osman (1960-67) and former national police chief,
Mohammed Abshir.

6 Jul 90 Hoping to demonstrate that he is unafraid to appear in public, Siad Barre attends a
soccer match. He is pelted and booed by the audience. Barre's bodyguard detail
loses control and fires indiscriminately into the crowd, killing at least 65 people.

15 Jul 90 A similar response is given to a crowd protesting the arrests of the manifesto signers.

16 Jul 90 The government announces that a constitutional referendum will be held on 31
October, with multiparty elections scheduled for 1 February 1991.

18 Jul/ The SNM seizes a Soviet fishing trawler in the Gulf of Aden. The
2 Aug 90 Soviet Union makes a payment of $250,000 for the return of the boat and crew.




2 Aug 90 The Council of Ministers announces that the multiparty system is legal.

21 Aug 90 Expiration of the US-Somali military access agreement. It can now be canceled by
either party on a one-year notice.

2 Sep 90 Mohammed Hawadle Madar, an Isaaq, is named Prime Minister. Jama Barre returns
to Finance and is also named Deputy Prime Minister. Sanantar is named First Vice-
President on 4 September.

6 Sep 90 Bombs explode in Somali government offices in Mogadishu.

2 Oct 90 The three principal Somali opposition movements, the United Somali Congress
(USC), the Somali National Movement (SNM) and the Somali Patriotic Movement
(SPM), sign an agreement defining common objectives for the defeat of the
government.


7 Oct 90 Ethiopian leader Haile Mengistu Mariam orders rebel Somali groups to leave their
Ethiopian bases by the end of the month.
-30-




12 Oct 90 A new constitution permitting multipartyism takes effect. The 31 October referendum
is canceled because of a declining security situation.

21 Oct 90 Siad Barre cancels the celebrations of his 21st year in power, citing economics. Poor
security is closer to the reason.

23-24 Oct 90 Strong public protests in Mogadishu against large increases in oil prices and the
continued incarceration of the manifesto signers. The security forces demonstrate
some restraint.

Nov 90 The USC and the SPM establish a joint coordinating committee.

8 Nov 90 USC forces launch attack on the government garrison at Bulo-Burte, killing the
commander.

15 Nov 90 Substituting one hated son for another, Barre places Minister of Public Works, BGen
Mohammed Siad Hersi "Morgan" in the Ministry of Defense for BGen Abdurahman
Mohammed Siad "Moslah."



25 Nov 90 Morgan also replaces Moslah as commander in chief of the armed forces.
2-4 Dec 90 Feuding within the Hawiye clan in Mogadishu leads to looting and a firm government
response, with perhaps 50 killed.

4-5 Dec 90 The government abandons any further pretense to respecting the constitution to make
many arrests, including more signers of the manifesto.

5 Dec 90 The American Embassy in Mogadishu calls for voluntary departures among the
American community and informs community leaders of the need for a possible
evacuation.

6 Dec 90 Soldiers belonging to the Marehan clan of President Barre kill 10 people .. a market
in Mogadishu. The government claims that the culprits were bandits. The USC
claims increased battle successes against government forces.

8 Dec 90 The State Department follows up with an advisory for departure in view of the
ongoing civil war in the country.


10-29 Dec 90 A general decline in public order in Mogadishu leads to much looting, arrests and
killings. Press reports indicate "hundreds of deaths."

25 Dec 90 The government authorizes the formation of legal political parties. The move is
denounced by the SNM as a "sham."

26 Dec 90 The Government of Saudi Arabia announces economic assistance, in the form of fuel
worth $70 million, to the government of Somalia.

30 Dec 90 There is a major upsurge in local violence in Mogadishu and continuous fighting
between government troops and USC insurgents. The next four weeks are marked by increasing rebel gains. Several calls for a cease-fire to remove non-combatants are rejected by the USC high command
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5-6 Jan 91 Helicopter evactation of the U.S. Embassy compound in Mogadishu. 116 persons are
evacuated, including the Soviet Ambassador and his staff, various Italians and other
third country nations. Some shots are fired by the U.S. Marine rescue team, but no
casualties are reported.

25 Jan 91 Siad Barre offers to resign if the USC forces will permit a cease-fire. The offer is
summarily rejected.


27 Jan 91 Siad Barre flees Mogadishu with many of his supporters, after four weeks of violent
fighting which leaves the city in ruins. Barre and his forces retreat to the port town
of Kismayu, where they will attempt to organize a riposte to their defeat in
Mogadishu. Each of the three major rebel movements now controls his ethnic zone.
With the departure of Barre and his fellow Marehan, the capital was in the hands of
the victorious Hawiye forces of the USC. In the North, the lsaaq-dominated SNM
quickly overcame government forces in Berbera and Hargeisa. Elsewhere in the
south, the Ogadeni-led forces of the SPM took control of much of the remaining
territory. Kenya's president Arap Moi, who always maintained good relations with
Siad in power, continues to support him in internal exile, with arms and other goods.




29 Jan 91 The USC names Ali Mahdi Mohammed, a 52-year-old businessman (owner of the
Maka Hotel) and a member of the Abgal sub-clan of the Hawiye, as interim
President, and Omar Arteh Ghalib, an Isaaq, as interim Prime Minister. The lsaaqbased
SNM takes Hargeisa and Berbera. Ali Mahdi Mohammed notes that he is
taking on the task of president in a "provisional capacity." He invites the members of
other anti-Siad groups to meet in Mogadishu on 28 February. Claiming that they had
not been consulted, General Aideed, the SPM and the SNM immediately reject the
naming of Ali Mahdi as interim president. This sets the stage for the months of civil
strife in Mogadishu and eventually to Operation Restore Hope.


30 Jan 91 SNM forces capture the port of Berbera. They also are at the gates of the towns of
Hargeisa and Burao, both at least 80% destroyed by Siad Barre's forces in May 1988.
There are reports of fighting between Gadabursi (traditional allies of Barre's Marehan
clan) irregulars and SNM units outside Boromoa





1 Feb 91 The naming of Ali Mahdi Mohammed as provisional president is termed "hasty" by
the representatives of the SNM and the SPM. The USC reports that it will fulfill the
requirements of the Tripartite Agreement signed with the other two anti-Siad groups
on 2 October 1990.

2 Feb 91 Reports arrive of the killing of hundreds of Siad supporters as they attempted to flee
north towards the Ethiopian frontier.

9 Feb 91 Forces of the USC fight with Ogadenis of the anti-Siad SPM at Afgoi, some 30 kms
south of Mogadishu.

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13 Feb 91 Representatives of the provisional government arrive in Rome for talks with Italian
politicians and business leaders. A USC dissident group in London calls upon
Western countries not to reopen their embassies in Mogadishu until "a legitimate
government" is formed.

mid-Feb 91 The SNM announces that it will not attend the 28 February reconciliation ccnference.
The SNM loses affiliation of Issa groups in its membership.

18 Mar 91 The Foreign Minister of the provisional government, Omar Arteh Ghaleb, leaves on a
trip to visit Arab states of the Gulf in an effort to secure recognition and financial
support.



4 Apr 91 A cease-fire between forces of the USC and SPM lasts but four days.
23 Apr 91 USC forces take over Kismayu and Baidoa. The population of Baidoa has swollen to
over 400,000, mostly Marehan, fleeing from the new government in Mogadishu.

24 Apr 91 A joint declaration purportedly signed by the USC, SNM and the Somali Democratic
Front (SDM-generally considered to represent the interests of the Rahanwein clan)
calls for national unity and territorial integrity. The SNM later repudiates the
agreement, claiming that it was issued without the agreement of its central committee.





4-7 May 91 Northern clan groups gather in Burao in an effort to hold reconciliation.
15 May 91 The governments of Italy and Egypt call for a meeting of all Somali liberation
movements in Cairo on 8 July to prepare for national unity.

18 May 91 At a special congress of the SNM at Burao, the delegates support a unilateral declaration
of independence by SNM civilian head Abdirahman Ahmed Ali "Tur," in
northern Somalia. Hargeisa becomes the capital of the Republic of Somaliland,
including all of what was British Somaliland. This declaration followed the desertion
by Barre in the south and considerable northern sentiment, especially from the
military side of the SNM.

2 Jun 91 The OAU, meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, calls for the Somaliland Republic to rescind its
secession declaration.

5 Jun 91 The first cabinet of the Somaliland Republic is announced. SNM chairman
Abdirahman Ahmed Ali "Tur" is made provisional president for a term of 2 years.

5-11 Jun 91 Efforts by Djiboutian President Hassan Gouled to broker peace between the contending
Somali factions. These efforts come to naught. This meeting, termed "Djibouti
I" brought delegations representing the USC, the Somali Salvation Democratic
Front (Majertain), SPM, United Somali Front (Issa) and the Somali Democratic
Alliance (Gadabursi). The SNM did not come to Djibouti. A cease-fire is agreed to,
and joint action against a return by Siad Barre is agreed upon.

15-16 Jun 91 Serious fighting in Mogadishu between the local Abgal partisans of Ali Mahdi and the
Habr Gedr Sa'ad clansmen of General Mohammed Farah Aideed.
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Jul 91 The SPM reconquers Kismayu.
5 Jul 91 Threats from the Darood lead to the election of an anti-Darood hardliner, Mohammed
Farah Aideed, as USC chairman.

15-21 Jul 91 Presidents Gouled and Moi open Djibouti II, a second effort to secure Somali
reconciliation and unity. The participants agree on steps to promote peace, unity and
democracy. A cease-fire is to take effect on 26 July. Joint military action against
Siad is agreed. The parties agree to a two year transitional presidency by Ali Mahdi.
The SNM skipped the meeting. USC military chief Aideed rejects the idea of Ali
Mahdi's recognition as president.

16 Jul 91 The USC takes Kismayu back.

23 Jul 91 Somaliland Republic president "Tur" rejects the recommendations of Djibouti I! and
vows that northern secession is "irreversible."

10 Aug 91 Following long bilateral negotiations in Mogadishu, the USC and SNM agree to
continue the national dialogue with the goal of cooperation and unification.

18 Aug 91 Ali Mahdi is sworn in as national president, citing the agreements of Djibouti 11.
This action is immediately contested by General Mohammed Aideed, chairman of the
USC.



5-7 Sep 91 General Aideed continues to dispute the role of Ali Mahdi; fratricidal battles in
Mogadishu leave at least 300 dead.

Sep 91 Siad Barre's forces capture Baidoa.
Split in the Hawiye. As a result, certain Marehan supporters move from their
redoubt on the Kenya border to within 150 kms of Mogadishu.

28 Sep 91 The USC central committee criticizes General Aideed's role in stirring up intra-clan
fighting among the Hawiye. Djibouti 11 is ratified.

3 Oct 91 All Mahdi announces his cabinet which is very large and unwieldy. All clans are
represented.

30 Oct 91 General Aideed condemns the Italians for their support of Siad Barre over the years.
He asks for the recall of the Italian Ambassador. On 29 October, Aideed's airmen
forced the closure of the Mogadishu airport immediately prior to the arrival of the
Italian Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs.



Mid-Nov 91 On 13 November, Ali Mahdi moves his forces close to Aideed's headquarters.
Aideed's forces make a lightning response, and generalized intra-Hawiye clan fighting
breaks out on 17 November and quickly brings Mogadishu to chaos.

18 Nov 91 General Aideed's men storm the Italian embassy compound. The locale is looted, but
the diplomats are given safe passage.
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14 Dec 91 A Belgian member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) dies of
wounds obtained in the battle of Mogadishu.

Mid-Dec 91 After over 5,000 killed, upwards of 12,000 wounded, the first relief supplies arrive in
Mogadishu after a month of fighting between rival USC factions.

19 Dec 91 General Aideed calls for a cease-fire at a meeting of the USC executive committee
that he controls. He noted that previous cease-fires of December 7 and 16 had
broken down as result of the failure of Ali Mahdi to keep his commitments.

2 Ja 92 A special session of the Arab League Council is convened to examine "the
deteriorating situation in Somalia."

16 Jan 92 The ICRC announces that a third ICRC employee, a Somali, has died as the result of
wounds in Mogadishu.

17 Jan 92 The "Ashamud militia" controlling the port area in Mogadishu, opens the doors of the
port and permits the local population to pillage the stores held there.

The ICRC reports that the hundreds of thousands of refugees living in camps south of
Mogadishu had begun to die of starvation.




21 Jan 92 UN Secretary General Boutros Ghali calls upon the Security Council to take urgent
measures for a peaceful solution to the Somali civil war.

23 Jan 92 The UN Security Council adopts resolution UNSCR 733 declaring a total arms
embargo on Somalia.

13 Feb 92 Talks between warring factions begin in New York under the auspices of the League
of Arab State, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the Islamic Conference.
Altec three days of talks, the warring factions agree on a cease-fire and negotiations.
There is no sign of relief on the scene in Mogadishu. Press reports quotes "experts"
saying that the two factions that agreed to a truce in New York control only 4,000 out
of the 20,000 well-armed fighters roawL g the streets of Mogadishu.

9 Mar 92 UN officials in Mogadishu report that 100,000 women and children demonstrated in
favor of peace.

18 Mar 92 The "Republic of Somaliland" is "recognized" by the main opposition group in the
Republic of Djibouti, the From pour la restauration de l'unitM et de la dimocratie
(FRUD).


End-Mar 92 Africa Watch estimates that the fighting in Mogadishu has led to 14,000 deaths and
27,000 wounded in five months of hostilities.

Mid-Apr 92 Forces affiliated with former President Siad Barre move north, capturing a few small
villages, before being soundly beaten by USC forces. The Barre forces penetrate to
Afgoye, 30 kms. west of the capital, before being repelled to Baidoa, 240 kms
northwest of the capital.
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24 Apr 92 The United Nations Security Council adopts resolution number 751 requesting the
Secretary General to deploy a group of 50 UN observers to monitor the cease-fire in
Mogadishu, and agreeing, in principle, to establish a UN security force for Somalia
when the necessary conditions exist.

26 Apr 92 General Aideed's USC, supported by SDM forces, wrest Baidoa from forces loyal to
Siad Barre, with many prisoners taken. Other USC units take Garba Harre, the main
town in Siad Barre's Gedo area redoubt.'

28 Apr 92 The UN Secretary General designates Mohammed Sahnoun (Algeria) as his special
representative for Somalia.
Former president Siad Barre takes refuge in Kenya.

14 May 92 Kismayu is captured by "Somali Liberation Army" forces led by Col. Omar Jess, '-ith
the assistance of Somali Democratic Movement (SDM) and Southern Somali National
Movement (SSNM) troopers.




17 May 92 Siad Barre arrives in Lagos, Nigeria, where he is accorded political asylum.
27 May 92 The leaders of the breakaway "Republic of Somaliland" formally reject any
consideration of reunification with southern Somalia.

21 Jun 92 General Aideed gives his permission for UN troops to be sent to Mogadishu to guard
food convoys.

25 Jun 92 The press reports that 150 Somali refugees die from drowning as they leap from a
ship carrying them when it is denied entry to Yemen. The ship had been hijacked on
5 June by about 3,400 Somali refugees fleeing the civil war. The local authorities
had denied the entrance because they were already caring for about 50,000 Somali
refugees.





7 Jul 92 USC supporters of Mohamed Farah Aideed charge that UN aircraft are transporting
money and military equipment for Ali Mahdi's forces. This forces the suspension of
UN flights to Mogadishu, including the deployment of unarmed UN military
observers authorized by UNSC resolution. Subsequent investigation indicates that a
rogue freight carrier, using an Antonov 32 that had been previously chartered to the
UN, had carried several cargos into Mogadishu, contracted by a Mogadishu
businessman."


Mid-Jul 92 Humanitarian organizations launch a coordinated world appeal for help in Somalia.
23 Jul 92 The first UN military observers arrive in Mogadishu.
SIndian Ocean Newsletter no. 525 (2 May 1992), pp. 2-3.
" Indian Ocean Newsletter No. 536 (18 Jul 92), p. 2,




26 Jul 92 The government of Djibouti announces that a Somali refugee ship sank off its coast.
45 bodies had been recovered.

4 Aug 92 Following a visit to Somalia by the UN Special Representative, Under Secretary
Mohammed Sahnoun (Algerian), and French Minister of Health and Humanitarian
Action, Bernard Kouchner, it is estimated that approximately one quarter of the
Somali population, or about 1.5 million people, are immediately subject to death by
starvation.

12 Aug 92 Somali warlord Mohammed Aideed states that he will permit the UN to protect its
food supplies, using armed men. The Secretary General of the United Nations,
Boutrous Ghali, announces that he will deploy 500 UN soldiers to Somalia.
14 Aug 92 President Bush orders a food airlift to take supplies to the starving of Somalia.
- 36





17 Aug 92 U.S. troops and aircraft arrive in Mombasa, Kenya, to prepare for a food airlift to
Somalia. Ten days of negotiations among the Pentagon, the Red Cross and Kenyan
authorities are necessary before the mercy flights begin. Accor.ding to the agreement,
U.S. aircraft would fly into Somalia unarmed, but with the Red Cross displayed on
the aircraft.


28 Aug 92 The UN Security Council authorizes an additional 3,500 men to protect food aid
convoys.

10 Sep 92 UN officials persuade General Aideed to permit the deployment of an extra 3000 UN
troops. Aideed asks the United States to remove the 2,100 Marines now stationed off
the coast of Somalia.


14 Sep 92 Forty armed Pakistani troops are carried to Mogadishu on board a U.S. flight. The
full contingent of Pakistanis will soon rise to 550 personnel.





16 Sep 92 President Bush orders four USN ships to the coast of Somalia. The ships will contain
2,100 Marines and 1,700 sailors.

18 Sep 92 A U.S. C-130, carrying food to Somalia, takes a bullet on takeoff from desert strip at
Beledweyne. The United States suspends flights.

21 Sep 92 A major UN food warehouse in Mogadishu is looted.

10-13 Oct 92 An international donors' conference is held in Geneva. A number of humanitarian
and developmental assistance programs are unveiled, including the World Food
Program ($22 million), UNICEF ($28 million), WHO ($4.5 million) and UNICEF
($9 million).

12 Oct 92 Forces loyal to Siad Barre capture Bardera, the site of a large refugee camp. Relief
workers are obliged to leave the town.



21 Oct 92 Following demands by roaming gunmen for the payment of fees for permitting food
rescue flights to land, the Mogadishu airport is closed.
- 37 -



22 Oct 92 General Aideed refuses to let the Pakistani forces guard the airport, the piers in the
port, or the food convoys.

26 Oct 92 UN special envoy, Mohammed Sahnoun, resigns under pressure from New York after
his statements in the media criticizing UN relief policies in Somalia.

10 Nov 92 Pakistani units take control of the Mogadishu airport. Their control is periodically
affected by "technicals" attempting to extract funds from relief agencies using the
airport.

12 Nov 92 A CARE relief convoy is attacked in an ambush while transporting food supplies to
Baydhabo, a southern town heavily affected by starvation.

The new UN special representative, Ismat Kittani (Iraqi, former UN General
Assembly president in 1981) expresses dismay over the support being given UN relief
efforts.





21 Nov 92 The Deputies Committee of the National Security Council reconsider the options in
Somalia and, on the basis of a recommendation from Chief of Staff Colin Powell,
decide in favor of intervention. According to the press, the decision was based on
two compelling considerations: (1) the scale of the human disaster in Somalia; and (2)
the realization that the U.S. was the only world power able to do something about
it. 2

3-5 Dec 92 Relief coordination conference meets under UN auspices.

7 Dec 92 The imminent arrival of U.S. forces is signaled by the arrival of U.S. Navy transport
vessels off Mogadishu. Two Naval F-14s crisscross the city at 1000 feet.

9 Dec 92 In a nighttime landing, under the klieg lights of the world press, the first U.S. Marine
and Naval Seal contingents move into Mogadishu, without casualties, and take charge
of the port area and the international airport. They are joined by forward elements of
the 13th Demi-Brigade of the French Foreign Legion, arriving from their base in
Djibouti. Other national military units expected include Egypt, Turkey and Saudi
Arabia.
As "technicals" and other armed groups leave Mogadishu to avoid contact with the
U.S landing force, the security situation in the interior begins to degrade. The ICRC
reports that its compound is attacked by bandits.




10 Dec 92 The UN military force commander, Marine LTG Robert B. Johnston, arrives in
Mogadishu. Johnston had been General Schwarzkopf's chief of staff in the Persian
Gulf War.
A Marine force takes over the abandoned Soviet-built built at Bale Dogle, half way
between Mogadishu and Baidoa.

" Don Oberdorfer, "The Path to Intervention: A Massive Tragedy V"e Could do Something About'," Washington
Post (6 December 1992), p. Al.
- 38 -


11 Dec 92 Following meetings over 2 days at the American Embassy in Mogadishu, Hawiye
leaders Ali Mahdi Mohammed and Mohammed Aideed agree to a cease-fire and a
general truce. This has been the fist meeting between All Mahdi and Aideed in over
a year. The seven-point agreement calls for a reconstitution of the USC, disarmament
of all irregulars, including the so-called "technicals," and the disappearance of all
internal barriers, including the "green line," separating the two forces.

12 Dec 92 UN Secretary General Boutros Ghali publicly calls for U.S. forces to disarm the clans
and take steps to ensure political stability.

13 Dec 92 The relief agency CARE estimates that 350,000 Somalis will die of starvation during
1992. At least 2 million more remain at risk.
The first relief ship since 24 October enters Mogadishu harbor.

14 Dec 92 Marine General Joseph P. Hoar, Commander in Chief of the U.S. Central Command,
as well as other senior U.S. Government officials, reject Boutros Ghali's call to
disarm the Somali clans. General Hoar states that the issue of disarmament is "a
political issue, one that needs to be settled first and foremost by the Somalis."


15-16 Dec 92 The first Marine units enter Baidoa. After securing the airfield, more units are flown
in.


39 -





8. SUPPLEMENTARY REFERENCES Donham, Donald and Wendy James, eds., The Southern
Marches of Imperial Ethiopia: Essays in History and
Abir, Mordechai, Ethiopia and the Red Sea: The Rise Social Anthropology (London: Cambridge University
and Decline of the Solomonic Dynasty and Muslim- Press, 1986) 308 p.
European Rivalry in the Region (Totowa, NJ: Frank
Cass and Company Limited, 1980) 251 p.




Drake-Brockman, Ralph E., British Somaliland
Africa Watch, A Government at War with its Own (London: Hurst & Blackett, Paternoster House, E.C.,
People: Testimonies about the Killing and the Conflict 1912) 334 p. + map.
in the North (New York: Africa Watch, 1990).
Drysdale, John, The Somali Dispute (New York: Prae-
Amnesty International, Somalia: A Long-Term Human ger, 1964) 183 p.
Rights Crisis (London: Amnesty International Pubs.,
1988) 52 p. Elmi, A.S., "The Chewing of Khat in Somalia," Journal
of Ethno-Pharmacology vol 8 (2), (August 1983),
Bayne, E.A., "Somalia's Myths are Tested," American pp. 163-176.





idem., War Clouds on the Horn of Africa: The
Cassanelli, Lee V., The Shaping of Somali Widening Storm, revised 2nd edition (New York:
Society: Reconstructing the History of a Pastoral Carnegie Endowment, 1979) 183 p.
People, 1600-1900 (University of Pennsylvania Press,
1982) 311 p. Fitzgibbon, Louis, The Betrayal of the Somalis
(London: Rex Collins, 1982) 114 p.
Castagno, A.A., Somalia (New York: Carnegie Endowment,
1959) pp. 339-400. Gaillard, Jean Louis, Somalie: Le People de Pount
(Paris: L'Harmattan, 1988) 142 p.
idem., "Somalia Goes Military," Africa Report
(February 1970), pp. 25-27. Gorman, Robert F., Political Conflict in the Horn of
Africa (New York: Praeger, 1981) 243 p.
idem., "Somalia," in James S. Coleman and Carl G.
Rosberg, Jr., eds., Political Parties and National Hess, Robert L., "The Poor Man of God - Muhammad
Integration in Tropical Africa (Berkeley and Los Abdullah Hassan," in Norman R. Bennett, Leadership in
Angeles, Univ of California Press, 1964), pp. 512-529. Eastern Africa: Six Political Biographies (Boston:
Boston University Press, 1968), pp. 65-108.
Castagno, Margaret, Historical Dictionary of Somalia
(Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1975) 243 p. Jardine, Douglas, The Mad Mullah of Somaliland
(London: Herbert Jenkins, 1923) 336 p.
Decraene, Philippe, L'Experience Socialiste Somalienne
(Paris: Berger-Levrault, 1977) 219 p.
-

[kambuli]

Koreeye Kooreeye Jaamac kidin

[Basra-]

21 Oct 69 Successful coup. The army, with the help of the police, takes power in a bloodless
coup, and General Mohammed Siad Barre installs the Republic of Somalia.




R u telling me Siad Baare assasinated the Majeerten Prez and became the president by virtue of ---moryaan-niimo?? How dare him!

[Koreeye]

Basra no Abdirashid AUN was assasinated by his own people - Majerteen - a ali saleeban policeman

[Basra-]

Oh miaah. Ok. Thanks. I was about to hate marehaan, but good timing, u have responded timely!