This guy served as Secretary of State under John f Kennedy and Lyndon Baines. His first year in office he met with a group of delegates from Somalia (very young delegates a Majerteen was leading them). After greeting them the secretary asked them where they came from to which they replied “Somalia”. The secretary flinched and said “Somalia?” “I’ve never heard of a country called Somalia you must’ve gotten your independence recently” he couldn’t find any information about this newly formed Somali state and he wanted to know the history of the Somali people prior to colonisation so he told them to sit down while he looked through some books British wrote about Ogaden history. He asked them “this group, the Ogaden, first of all are you Ogaden”? with a smile to which the Majerteen delegate replied “yes” and then he asked “so this man, this madmullah, you are related”? to which the majerteen replied “he’s my great great grandfather I’m partially related to him”
The story was kept hidden from the general public until a Majerteen delegate told ONLF members in 1991. I do not know how famous this story is or why Ogaden say it’s famous I guess it’s only famous amongst Ogadenka bc I didn’t see others discussing it. Other Ogadens on here, did your parents inform you of this story?
