Why Ethiopia and Somalia hate each other?
Many historians trace the origins of modern hostility between
In the summer of 1977, Somalia, a poverty -stricken country in the Horn of Africa, invaded its equally poor neighbor, Ethiopia, in hopes of conquering the Ogaden Desert region, which was populated by ethnic Somalis.
The causes of the Somali conflict have their roots both in local factors, including social, cultural, economic and political traits of the Somalis, and external factors, including the geo-political and strategic desire of powers from inside and outside the region.
The news source revealed that the conflict erupted following a dispute between the two sides on the contentious issue of levying tax on Khat. The initial conflict was between Somali militants and security forces of the Oromia Region. Currently the tension seems to escalate into an ethnic conflict, according to sources.
Ogaden, or the Somali Regional State, is populated by ethnic Somalis, and the international frontier remains unmarked and practically invisible on the ground. From 1960 to today, the Ogaden region has been the primary source of deep tensions between the two States.
The Ethiopians prevailed at Harar and began to push the Somalis out of the Ogaden systematically. By March 1978, the Ethiopians had captured almost all of the Ogaden, prompting the defeated Somalis to give up their claim to the region.
Ethiopian forces backing the Somali transitional government violated the laws of war by widely and indiscriminately bombarding highly populated areas of Mogadishu with rockets, mortars and artillery. Its troops on several occasions specifically targeted hospitals and looted them of desperately needed medical equipment.
The root causes of Somalia's food crisis
The lack of rainfall means that crops cannot grow, leading to widespread crop failures. The droughts have also led to the loss of water sources, making it difficult for people to grow and access clean drinking water.
As a result, dogs are considered unclean in Somalia culture and are generally not allowed in areas homes; it is not common to have them as pets. Clinicians should try to keep Somali clients away from dogs when visiting a practice, and not to offer them a place to sit previously occupied by a dog.
Somalia allies are Turkey, Russia, China, Qatar, Eritrea, and Pakistan. Somalia enemies are United States and allies, Israel, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kenya.
Who helped Somalia against Ethiopia?
Not all communist states sided with Ethiopia. Because of the Sino-Soviet rivalry, China supported Somalia diplomatically and with token military aid. Romania under Nicolae CeauΕescu had a habit of breaking with Soviet policies and also maintained good diplomatic relations with Barre.
Despite their linguistic affinity and similar livelihood the Oromo and the Somali have, nevertheless, differences, which are socio-cultural in nature. The Somali are characterised by camel pastoralism, while the Oromo are characterised by cattle.
After years of increased tensions and hostilities between the TPLF and the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea, fighting began when Tigrayan security forces attacked the Northern Command headquarters of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), alongside a number of other bases in Tigray.
Colonial legacy and military repression
In 1884, the colonial powers divided the Somali peninsula into five different regions. Great Britain took the northwest regions and Northeast Frontier District (NFD). France colonised Djibouti and Italy controlled southern Somalia .
Djibouti is bounded by Eritrea to the north, Ethiopia to the west and southwest, and Somalia to the south. The Gulf of Tadjoura, which opens into the Gulf of Aden, bifurcates the eastern half of the country and supplies much of its 230 miles (370 km) of coastline.
According to the Encyclopedia of the Third World, there are over one million Somalis in Ethiopia, mostly concentrated in the Ogaden region.
Somali is an official language in Somalia and Ethiopia, and a national language in Djibouti as well as in northeastern Kenya. The Somali language is written officially with the Latin alphabet although the Arabic alphabet and several Somali scripts like Osmanya, Kaddare and the Borama script are informally used.
In late 1989, Israel reportedly finalized a secret agreement to provide increased military assistance in exchange for Mengistu's promise to allow Ethiopia's remaining Beta Israel to immigrate to Israel. In addition, the two nations agreed to restore diplomatic relations and increase intelligence cooperation.
In antiquity, Somalia was an important commercial center. It is among the most probable locations of the ancient Land of Punt. During the Middle Ages, several powerful Somali empires dominated the regional trade, including the Ajuran Sultanate, the Adal Sultanate, and the Sultanate of the Geledi.
The Italians invaded Abyssinia on 3 October 1935 and captured the capital Addis Ababa on 5 May 1936. The League of Nations branded Italy the aggressor and imposed limited sanctions to no avail.
Who tried to invade Ethiopia?
Italy invaded Ethiopia in October 1935, launching a war that would drive Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie into exile, pave the way for Italian occupation, and test the capacity and will of the League of Nations to check the aggression of expansionist states.
The Red Terror, known in Amharic as Qey Shibir, refers to a period of violent insurrection and subsequent government-sponsored murders that occurred in Ethiopia, starting with a left-wing military coup against Emperor Haile Selassie.
Same-sex relations are illegal in Somalia. Punishments under strict Sharia law include flogging or death. It's also illegal to preach a religion other than Islam in Puntland or Somaliland.
Its socioeconomic statistics are among the worst in the world. Water supply coverage is low for both drinking and domestic use, particularly in rural areas. Somalia is experiencing a serious hunger crisis, just five years after drought and conflict killed an estimated 260,000 people, half of them children under age 5.
According to Article 97 of the constitution, most executive powers of the Somali government are vested in the Council of Ministers. The incumbent President of Somalia is Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Hamza Abdi Barre is the national Prime Minister.
