The Ogaden War 1977-1978

After British Somalia and Italian Somalia gained independence from the UK in 1960 as the unified state of Somalia, the leadership aspired to create a Greater Somalia which incorporated surrounding territories populated by Somali. The Ogaden, in southeastern Ethiopia was one such region. In the uncertainty following the overthrow the Haile Selassie in 1974, Ethiopia confronted a number of secessionist movements including the Western Somali Liberation Front (WSLF) began conducting a guerrilla war in 1975, attacking police stations and army bases. Somalia provided support for the insurgency but its success was limited to control of the countryside and contesting the main roads. As the war against Ethiopia escalated the WSLF had to rely increasingly on so-called Somali volunteers with armor and artillery. In June 1977, Ethiopia accused Somalia of committing its regular army units to the fighting. On July 23, 1977, Somalia committed its entire armed forces to an undeclared war against Ethiopia in support of the WSLF.

Somali mechanized forces made rapid progress. At the Battle of Jijiga on September 15th, Somali forces achieved their greatest victory – inflicting heavy casualties on the defenders and capturing the city. By the end of September 1977, Somalia had occupied 90 percent of the Ogaden. Ethiopia only held on to the major cities of Harar and Dire Dawa. At Dire Dawa, Ethiopian forces had repulsed an attack in August – inflicting the only serious setback in the Somali offensive. A new attack on Dire Dawa was launched in late November but the Ethiopian defenders held their ground. The limit of the Somali invasion had been reached.

Somalia had built up a formidable military with Soviet material support and advisers. The coup in Ethiopia, perpetrated by avowedly Marxist-Leninist officers, created a diplomatic dilemma for the USSR since the government of Somalia was not as ideologically compatible and Ethiopia was a significantly larger country with greater geopolitical potential. Soviet attempts to mediate a resolution to the war between the two states failed. In fact, the timing of the Somali invasion was intended to preempt the expected delivery of Soviet military aid to Ethiopia. The USSR decided to abandon Somalia by September 1977, ending its military assistance while directing massive military assistance to Ethiopia, including transporting 12,000 Cuban troops from Angola to assist in the fighting with Somalia.

With Soviet and Cuban aid, Ethiopia built up its armed forces in preparation for a counter-offensive. While Somali forces were materially depleted, the Ethiopian forces were ready to take the offensive by January 1978. Although pushed back, Somali resistance proved determined enough to stalemate the Cuban-Ethiopian forces. A renewed offensive in late February broke Somali defenses after heavy fighting and destroyed the Somali army as a fighting force. The government of Somalia announced on March 9, 1978, the complete of all regular Somali forces from the war. The WSLF, however, resumed its guerrilla war against Ethiopia.

Notes

[1] Clodfelter reports 3,000 troops from South Yemen supported Ethiopia as well but no fatalities are reported. Correlates of War does not list South Yemen as a combatant.

References

Clodfelter, 1008-10; COW187; Ethiopia - A Country Study; Kohn, 164; Somolia - A Country Study.

Category

Inter-State War

Region

East Africa

Belligerents

Ethiopia, Somalia, Cuba, South Yemen^[1]

Dispute

Territory

Initiation Date

July 23, 1977

Termination Date

March 9, 1978

Duration

7 months, 15 days
(230 days)

Outcome

Unresolved Truce
(Ethiopian victory)

Fatalities

Total: 10,500
Ethiopia: 1,800
Cuba: 700
Somalia: 8,000

Magnitude

4.0