1946: Top Secret Communication between the British & Ethiopians regarding the proposal of exchanging the coast of Zeila for Half of Somali Galbeed

[Macawisley]

Land Ethiopia wanted

Land that they offered:

Imagine if this actually materialised? I would’ve started my own Hamas damn

 

[SamaaleCushite]

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Land Ethiopia wanted View attachment 300617

Land that they offered:

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Imagine if this actually materialised? I would’ve started my own Hamas damn

fun fact etiopian generals always knew the weakest point in their defense against somalis was the djibouti corridor to diridhaba not the hawd or the southern desert. Haile was playing 4d chess with this move. Many agree that if barre smashed through the deserts of djibouti and rushed across the mountains he could have held off any army cuban or ethiopian with ease.

 

[Hassan77]

fun fact etiopian generals always knew the weakest point in their defense against somalis was the djibouti corridor to diridhaba not the hawd or the southern desert. Haile was playing 4d chess with this move. Many agree that if barre smashed through the deserts of djibouti and rushed across the mountains he could have held off any army cuban or ethiopian with ease.

He should’ve blitzkreiged his way in to cut the supply lines.

 

[SamaaleCushite]

He should’ve blitzkreiged his way in to cut the supply lines.

the main supply hubs were diri dhaba and harar if he rushed through djibouti he could have held these easily the desert and hawd are easy to conquer. Ethiopia had 33.7 million in 77. In next invasion we will be facing 100-200 million ethiopians Somali army will have to be 500k - 1 million strong facing 5 - 8 million ethiopians.

 

[Hassan77]

the main supply hubs were diri dhaba and harar if he rushed through djibouti he could have held these easily the desert and hawd are easy to conquer. Ethiopia had 33.7 million in 77. In next invasion we will be facing 100-200 million ethiopians Somali army will have to be 500k - 1 million strong facing 5 - 8 million ethiopians.

I’m not worried about the numbers most are aliens who don’t even have anything in common with each other. We will easily roll thru the oromos and yar yars.

 

[Three Moons]

fun fact etiopian generals always knew the weakest point in their defense against somalis was the djibouti corridor to diridhaba not the hawd or the southern desert. Haile was playing 4d chess with this move. Many agree that if barre smashed through the deserts of djibouti and rushed across the mountains he could have held off any army cuban or ethiopian with ease.

Barre’s mistake was not utilising his long range Ilyushin II-28 bombers to take out the Ethiopian Air Force. He should have also been bolder by dropping the well-trained Somali paratroopers behind enemy lines in Addis itself to capture Mengistu and his cadre. The Somali Army was completely dismantling the Ethiopian Army therefore they would have never seen such a bold move coming just like the Kenyans were caught by surprise with the Rhamu Incident.

Without a leader or party in Addis, the Soviets would have nobody to switch to or work with, and be forced to stick with Somalia.

Invading Djibouti a month after independence from France would have put Somalia into a collision course with a nuclear great power, a year before it got entangled with a nuclear superpower lmao. An attack through Eritrea supported by the local secessionist soldiers would be more successful.

Also, the moment the Soviets turned hostile, all of the major military installations should have been switched, the jet fighters and radar equipment should have been moved to a different place but Barre left everything as it was.

Truth is, with the Soviet Empire entering the conflict, the war was already over before it started. They had satellite imagery, fresh troops, unlimited military hardware and funding.

 

[Arkan]

Ethiopia was very stupid to not go along with the roads and corridors proposed in 1929 by a British-Indian firm. Their shortsightedness cost them dearly after losing Eritrea in 1993. All they had to do was collaborate with the British to revitalize or improve the existing road network into North Somalia.

The roads would have improved Ethiopian trade, providing healthy competition with the railway. The goods shipped by these roads would have been cheaper for Addis Ababa than by the rail direct from Djibouti, as well as a source of revenue generated by a system of tolls, as described in the commerce report below.

The proposal for land exchange most likely would've happened if this was fully fulfilled.