CIA: Israel participation in the Somali Civil war

[Zak12]

. I think we have been doing this a long time. Very cunning and evil type of games.

Somalia has only been supporting rebels in Ethiopia from the 70s to mid 80s so not really. And there is nothing evil about it either, both groups were being terrorized.

So this projection is insane

What projection? I don't get what you mean.

 

[sh-89]

Somalia has only been supporting rebels in Ethiopia from the 70s to mid 80s so not really. And there is nothing evil about it either, both groups were being terrorized.

What projection? I don't get what you mean.

Yes and Siad Barre came into power 69 so that is his entire leadership period you are quoting.

The projection that we want their land. Its full of Somalis. Its our land technically based on the population. If we had a large chunk of their land than it would make sense them claiming we are taking from them. The evidence shows our people are in their land not vice versa.

Tbh I would rather be governed by Kenyans. Ethiopia is full of violent nomads too. Give me Kenyans any day of the week. Much more civil to live with.

 

[Zak12]

The evidence shows our people are in their land not vice versa.

Only de jure. The Somali-Ethiopia border isn't even properly demarcated anyways.

Tbh I would rather be governed by Kenyans.

They are just as bad. Both groups mistreat Somalis, the only way to ensure the safety and development of galbeed and NFD is if they become a part of Somalia in the future.

 

[Abaq]

Also interesting from the file is how Ethiopia used SPDF force to target Somalis forces in the Galbeed.

"Yusuf's forces have been used by the Ethiopians in limited combat against Somali guerrillas--the Western Somali Liberation Front (WSLF)--in the Ogaden and have conducted minor harassment in the border area of northern Somalia."

PS: Please don't derail thread based.

They also engaged in clan cleansing in Eastern Doollo region, pushing natives out from areas they made bases

 

[The Oponian Guild]

They also engaged in clan cleansing in Eastern Doollo region, pushing natives out from areas they made bases

Stop lying, you haven’t been in eastern Doollo for well over a century.

 

[Abaq]

after seeing what Somalia has become over the last 34 years there’s no way you can still support those rebel groups

Both Abdullahi Yusuf of SSDF and Senator Ahmed Hashi of SPM are on record saying they regret what they did. AY even famously said “xabbaddii aan moodayay in ay MSB ku socoto ileen anigay igu socotay”

 

[Bahal]

They even admit to what they were doing , dismantling Somalia:

"Ethiopia, for its part, rather than responding to the threat by respecting the right of Ethiopian Somalis and by fostering brotherhood between the peoples of Ethiopia, so Ethiopian Somalis could live in voluntary unity with their other fellow Ethiopians, resorted to dismantling Somalia to the extent possible. The policy was to respond to Somali aggression by taking the war to Somalia and, along the way, aggravating the contradiction between the Somali clans."

This isn’t hearsay or propaganda, it’s from an official Ethiopian policy document. They admit their strategy wasn’t to defend Ethiopia's borders or promote coexistence, but to intentionally destabilize Somalia and exploit clans. That level of transparency in foreign policy doctrine is rare, and it lays bare the regional game Ethiopia played for decades.

Once they had successfully rendered Somalia stateless, the conditions became ideal for them. Somalia was no longer a geopolitical competitor or a hegemonic rival, but a weakened shell a fragmented landscape of pawns they could maneuver at will. Whether it’s Somaliland, Puntland, or the externally-imposed governments in Mogadishu, Ethiopia found leverage through division.

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Also, let’s be clear: there is no real “Greater Somalia ideology.”


What people label “Greater Somalia” was never about conquest or expansionism. It was, and still is, about self-determination, unity among ethnically and culturally linked Somali territories, and the right to govern ourselves. In fact, the Somali world already operates as a unified space culturally, linguistically, and economically across Somalia, Djibouti, the Somali Region in Ethiopia, the NFD in Kenya, and the diaspora.

The political manifestation of Somali unity was simple: let the Somali people choose their own destiny, whether that means independence, autonomy, or federation with other Somali territories. It was not a policy of annexation it was a call for decolonization and inclusion.

As Siad Barre’s advisor once put it:

''Somalia is not saying that Western Somali region must join it, But that it must be allowed to exercise it's right to self-determination, just as Djibouti was allowed to excercize her rights. Even if they choose to unite with Ethiopia or to be on their own - that will not be the concern of Somalia. Somalia only supports Western Somalia only in it's right to fight for independence''

That distinction is crucial: support for liberation ≠ expansionism.

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This was also about justice, freedom, and development.

Listen to Makhtal Dahir, leader of the NasrAllah liberation movement in the Ogaden:

"We wanted our freedom. It was impossible to seek it through democratic means in a country where there is no free speech and no political party machinery, where expeditions are sent to collect taxes by force — seizing camels and mil-let crops. When we asked the Emperor for internal self-government, he threatened to shoot 180 Somali chiefs. He had an inkling what we were up to, and tried to impose a new head tax on cattle. Quran schools were ordered closed, and the laws allowed for one wife and no divorce. All this interfered with Muslim Somali traditions; and as leaders, we were expected to execute this policy. We discussed it and decided to pull out. When the Ethiopians discovered our opposition, they intended to arrest all of us. But by that time we had gone into hiding, where we formed the Liberation Government."

This wasn’t some ideological fantasy ,it was a direct response to political oppression, religious persecution, and cultural erasure.

The same aspirations were expressed in petitions and peaceful demands by Somali elders across the Ogaden.
View attachment 365409

But instead of acknowledging these grievances, Ethiopia gaslights Somalis by painting all Somali aspirations as some kind of aggressive “Greater Somalia” plan. That’s projection.

Because the real expansionists weren’t Somalis it was Ethiopia and Kenya who expanded their territories, occupied Somali regions with help by foreign powers, and then acted as if Somalis were marginal aliens in their own historical lands. The very lands Somalis were fighting to liberate were theirs in the first place.

So no, we’re not “wrong” for fighting for our freedom. We’re not extremists for wanting autonomy, equality, and dignity. The Somali people across these regions were simply resisting marginalization and demanding their right to decide their own future something every free people is entitled to.

They were very open about it lol. This was 2002, right at the start of the GWOT.

Ethiopia was, is, and will always remain an existential threat to Somalia and the Somali people at large.

Ironically, we were also wildly successful with our support for the TPLF and EPLF, who went on to topple the Derg and free Eritrea, leaving Ethiopia forever landlocked.

Unfortunately, while the latter settled for the secession of their country, the former was able to effectively consolidate power and transform Ethiopia into the region's preeminent power. Their Somali counterparts....not so successul in either goal, with one imploding within months and the other still seeking independence

Can't blame Ethiopia for that. Something is very wrong with our people.

 

[Idilinaa]

They were very open about it lol. This was 2002, right at the start of the GWOT.

Ethiopia was, is, and will always remain an existential threat to Somalia and the Somali people at large.

Ironically, we were also wildly successful with our support for the TPLF and EPLF, who went on to topple the Derg and free Eritrea, leaving Ethiopia forever landlocked.

Unfortunately, while the latter settled for the secession of their country, the former was able to effectively consolidate power and transform Ethiopia into the region's preeminent power. Their Somali counterparts....not so successul in either goal, with one imploding within months and the other still seeking independence

Can't blame Ethiopia for that. Something is very wrong with our people.

Ethiopia is more than just a historical rival , it has long acted as the Horn of Africa’s chief destabilizer.

Their internal feudal structures have not only kept their own population in poverty, but their foreign policy has often dragged neighboring countries into cycles of instability. This pattern continues even today.

Despite efforts by Somalia to pursue peaceful resolutions especially during the war’s early stages Ethiopia repeatedly inflamed internal divisions.
I read just yesterday a speech by the then governor of Hargeysa, where he recalled how Ethiopian officials outright bragged about their success in disuniting Somalis and sowing internal discord. Their strategy wasn’t hidden , it was deliberate.

This isn’t new. Going back to the medieval era, Ethiopian rulers consistently broke peace agreements and fueled endless wars with their neighbors, refusing any framework of coexistence or regional progress.

As for your point on the TPLF and EPLF, it’s important to clarify: they weren’t proxies of Somalia, just as WSLF and FLCS (Front de Libération de la Côte des Somalis) weren’t proxies either. These were genuine independence movements, grounded in domestic support and local political organizing. Somalia aligned with them based on principle , support for self-determination and not opportunism.

For instance, Somalia’s unwavering support for Djibouti’s independence was a success. Unfortunately, the French-groomed leadership under Aptidon betrayed the shared struggle and later turned against Somalia, despite the sacrifices made.

In contrast, SSDF, USC , SPM and SNM weren’t organic liberation movements. They were elite-driven groups, often motivated by personal ambition, who ultimately turned their weapons on fellow Somalis. Their actions deepened divisions and advanced Ethiopia’s destabilization agenda.

They were the opposite of movements like the Kacaan , SYL(early versions of it) or the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), which for all their flaws managed to bring Somalis together across clan lines in pursuit of common national goals: peace, stability, and sovereignty.

 

[Idilinaa]

@Qol @Shimbiris @Galool @Zak12 @Midas @Barkhadle1520 @novanova @Kun_Ciil @The truth seeker @Chaseyourdreamzz @X29 @Lightshow

The WSLF on combatting Isreali penetration and fighting the Zionist-Ethiopian Alliance:

Liberation Front Attacks Ethiopian Rule and Israeli Penetration

Western Somali Liberation Front memo sent to the Constituent Conference of the Union of Palestinian Engineers held from 6th to 11th December 1973 [Memorandum from the United Liberation Front of Wes…

somalihistoryarchive.com

How Isreal was assisting in Ethiopians campaign against Ogaden in 1965

Ethiopia, Israel Suppression of Somalis Cited by Syrians

February 11th 1965 Broadcast on Mogadishu Domestic Service (in Somali) [FBIS translated] The Syrian minister for Awqar, Abd ar-Rohman al-Kawakidi, has said that the Ethiopian Government with the as…

somalihistoryarchive.com

Isreali jews trying to occupy the economy of Djibouti & Mogadishu and control only to recieve mass boycott and resistannce by Somalis

Mad respect to our people for this

Israeli attempts to penetrate the Somali coast

Cairo radio (in Arabic) – aired 1640 GMT Israel is trying to infiltrate into Africa and to establish economic and trade relations with the African countries in an effort to break through the …

somalihistoryarchive.com

 

[Idilinaa]

They sound more like Khawarij than mujahideen , how exactly are they different from groups like Al-Shabaab or ISIS? Declaring Muslims apostates, waging war on fellow Muslims, while conveniently allying with actual enemies of Islam like the Derg a regime that literally ''burned Qur’ans, destroyed mosques, and slaughtered Muslim civilians.''

What Siad Barre said about them still rings true:

“𝗜𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 own houses, their families, their children. How is any national political aim fight to kill? begin to kill his family? So they are terrorists armed and organized by foreigners''

Not only did SNM raid refugee camps, but they also regularly attacked rural villages across Somaliland.

Same source from the Hargeysa governor speech: mentions how the SNM shelled local settlements in Gabiley, further illustrating how indiscriminate their operations often were:

Ethiopia Said Fueling Situation in North

London BBC World Service “Focus on Africa” program (in English) — 1615 GMT Relations between Somalia and Ethiopia are apparently not as good as they might be. In 1988, they signed…

somalihistoryarchive.com

This pattern closely mirrors the actions of the SSDF, who planted bombs in Mogadishu, shelled civilian settlements in Mudug, and attacked border towns. These were not just opposition movements they functioned more like destabilization militias, often operating with Ethiopian backing to plunge the country into chaos.

That’s why Siad Barre’s statement resonates: How can you claim to fight for the people or the nation, if you're actively destroying your own communities?
How does a national political aim begin with targeting civilians and launching raids inside your own country?

Before the large-scale escalation between 1988 and 1990 which blurred many lines it doesn’t appear that the government response was aimed at civilians. Rather, captured insurgents were dealt with harshly, yes, but there was a strategy of re-education and reintegration for defectors. In many areas, including parts of Hargeisa and surrounding towns, peace was maintained through cooperation with local populations.

It’s an often-overlooked part of the narrative that many communities were actually secure and stable until insurgent violence escalated the situation into total conflict.

 

[Zak12]

many communities were actually secure and stable until insurgent violence escalated the situation into total conflict.

There was the refugee crisis from Ogaden though. Some claim Barre favored and armed Ogadeni refugees in Somaliland which caused resentment among the locals and allowed SNM to rise.

 

[Idilinaa]

There was the refugee crisis from Ogaden though. Some claim Barre favored and armed Ogadeni refugees in Somaliland which caused resentment among the locals and allowed SNM to rise.

The refugees were housed into camps on the outskirts and near the borders and across it.

SNM attacked unarmed refugee camps that housed children, crippled elderly and women. The displaced people petitioned the UN to supply them with arms to defend themselves but didn't receive any and by the time they received some for from the government it was to late.

But yeah obviously you can see that revisionist narrative is nonsense.

 

[Idilinaa]

I am just being historically accurate. If you see anything wrong about what i said feel free to correct me.
That's what i gathered looking through Walaalwhoops posts about that period a lot.

It’s accurate to say the USC opened the floodgates for intervention. The manhunt for Aidid and famine, food aid looting narrative were just convenient pretexts.
View attachment 365357

In reality, the U.S. intervened for two reasons: to install a pro-U.S. regime and to secure oil interests. They had already been working with Somalis before the collapse and weren’t ready to abandon their investments.

Siad Barre had expelled U.S. oil companies after they mistreated Somali workers, so replacing him with a more compliant leadership was a priority.

Ironically, Aidid himself was later armed by the CIA after U.S. forces withdrew. The real problem?

The U.S./UN went in guns blazing, targeting civilians who weren’t even hostile escalating what could’ve been stabilized. They were the main reason the south spiraled further.
View attachment 365358

@Riftvalley @Midas @Shimbiris @Barkhadle1520 @novanova @Burqad @livinlavish @Rayaale @Neptune @Bahal

This letter underscores further my own assessment that it was a proxy war, it has never been a civil war.

Quite safely sums up the reason Southern Somalia ended up like it did, it was foreign interference.

That last part:

''The best that the United Nations did for Somalia was to decide to leave that country, Mr.Illing was qouted as saying. He further stated that ''Just two weeks after the departure of UNOSOM the Somalis have made more progress than in two and a half years of the United Nations Operation in Somalia"

It's similar to what i said before in another thread about Ogaden which continues to prove it:

This actually shows what’s possible when Somalis are simply left to govern themselves: peace, development, and real progress. The post-2018 transformation of the Somali Region is living proof.

When the interference stops and autonomy is respected, Somalis build.

 

[Neptune]

Quite safely sums up the reason Southern Somalia ended up like it did, it was foreign interference.

They might have made the problem worse, but what occured after Siad was booted out was purely Somalis fault. No country forced Somalis to become warlords and kill each other.

 

[Zak12]

They might have made the problem worse, but what occured after Siad was booted out was purely Somalis fault. No country forced Somalis to become warlords and kill each other.

How many countries had CIA funding warlords? The moryaans would have been quickly stamped out in the 90s if it weren't for the CIA.

 

[Idilinaa]

They might have made the problem worse, but what occured after Siad was booted out was purely Somalis fault. No country forced Somalis to become warlords and kill each other.

Did you miss the part where it literally says:

''when they themselves created most of the rivals factions in Somalia and supplied them with arms and money to finance their war activities"

That’s not just “making it worse”that’s engineering the entire conflict.

Without that level of interference, Somalis likely would’ve reconciled and stabilized things within a year or two, just like what happened in the North. The South was turned into a battleground by outside interests who backed warlordism and sabotaged unity.

 

[Afrax]

You just have to love xaq.

The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill