34 years ago today there was the Mogadishu riot which led to over 400 deaths

[Avalanche]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogadishu_riots_of_July_1989

The Mogadishu riots of July 1989 (Somali: Jimcaha Madoow, lit. 'Black Friday') were a series of violent events that took place in the capital city of Somalia on 14 and 15 July 1989. A significant event in modern Somali history, the riot and killings that followed were the first serious violence Mogadishu had seen and preluded the approaching Somali Civil War. The event was sparked by the assassination of Roman Catholic Bishop of Mogadishu Salvatore Colombo and the subsequent arrest of several Muslim religious leaders by the Barre regime.

According to human rights groups and independent sources, the violence, which was overwhelmingly carried out by government forces, resulted in approximately 400 killed and over 1,000 injured. The Somali government, however, denied these reports and claimed that only 23 people died and 59 were injured. In the aftermath of the riots, around 2,000 people were arrested and 46 men from the Isaaq clan were summarily executed by the military outside Mogadishu in an event now known as the Jazeera Beach Massacre.

The explosion of violence in the capital led to international condemnation towards the Barre regime, withdrawals of foreign support and inflamed anti government sentiments.

 

[bidenkulaha]

AUN to all those who died, a very black day in our history

 

[Natalie]

AUN to those who perished that day.
Mogadishu was never the same after.

 

[Testo 21]

Less workers, i blame the society.

 

[Jaale Ugaas]

International fallout[edit]​

The July massacres had significant consequences for the Barre regime and its foreign relations with the United States, which had previously been its principal source of financial and military support. Human rights organizations condemned the violence and accused the U.S. of complicity. In response, the Bush administration withdrew its request for more than $20 million in emergency economic support for the Somali government and began distancing itself from President Siad Barre. The size of the American embassy in Somalia was also significantly reduced, going from 189 to 85 employees.[11]

Repercussions and complicity of Siad Barre[edit]​

No one in the Somali government was ever prosecuted in connection with either the Mogadishu or Jazeera Beach massacres. It is widely believed that the Red Berets, a unit of around 5,000 troops led by the son of President Siad Barre, were responsible for the majority of the killings. Despite this, many analysts have agreed that it was unlikely that President Barre himself directly ordered the attacks and that the violence instead highlighted the lack of control over his military forces.[11]

Intensification of opposition towards the regime[edit]​

The July 1989 massacres played a significant role in inflaming rebellion against the Somali government. In response to the killings, a group of civilian politicians, intellectuals, businessmen, and religious leaders representing a large coalition of Somali clans formed the Council for National Reconciliation and Salvation (CNRS). The goal of the council was to peacefully introduce democratic reforms and call for Siad Barre to peacefully relinquish power, the establishment of an interim government consisting of representatives from opposition movements, and a timetable for multiparty elections. While the CNRS received support from countries such as Egypt and Italy, efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful due to a lack of willingness to negotiate on the part of the Siad Barre regime.