Dr. Ali Bahar

The collapse of the Union (the Somali republic) in the 1990s has not only paved the way for the disintegration of the Somali society but also facilitated the emergence of merciless militia groups such as SNM in northern Somalia and opened doors for the nemeses of Somali republic. The SNM troops with the full support of Ethiopia and Djibouti have invaded the Awdal region in 1991.

These wars are still burning today, and the ethnic cleanings continues where Djibouti with, the help Hargeisa troops, now declared all hell on Awdal people, trying to displace the natives of Awdal with new settlers of Issa tribe from Ethiopia and Djibouti. Israel style! But this is nothing new, as I reported back in 2023 on the following article: The exploded warfare in Awdal, Somalia, is the never-ending crisis in Awdal region; Crisis in Awdal: Violence, Poverty, and Border Restrictions, WardheerNews, 12/23/2023[1]

The identity used here is based on the way individuals describe themselves and are defined by others. Identity, as tragically has negative impacts on psychic of our society of today, is still considered an important element and remains deeply rooted in our culture. The roots of the current tribal conflicts in Awdal today, however, are not so much about differences in race, ethnicity, religion, language and culture between fighting groups. But rather identity-based conflicts also occur when groups, or more accurately countries, vying for power, succeed to control others and deny their rights; and this has been documented in Djibouti during the French colonial occupation, and the practice continues after the transfer of power to Issa tribe in Djibouti.

Some of these atrocities have been well documented in book, MA’NAXE (2). The government in Djibouti continued the oppression and the elimination of prominent Gadabursi Djiboutian citizens, born and educated in the country. People denied their citizenship, jobs and businesses, or even killed, jailed and deported from their birthplace, Djibouti, to Awdal region in Somalia or where else. These practices and illegal deportation continue even today.

The Current Rewed Invasions from Djibouti to Annex Awdal Region

As if the bloody crimes committed against Gadabursi in Djibouti were not enough, and destruction of lives to satiate their clan-driven hate towards the Gadabursi people never subsided, Djibouti openly started campaigning for the annexation of coastal areas in Awdal region back in 1970s. Case in point is the organized invasion carried out in 1991 in Awdal, where Djibouti joined SNM and Ethiopia, with their military forces, to occupy the Awdal region and annihilate the Gadabursi people, the dominant tribe in the region. Since then, Awdal remains occupied and suffers daily threats and killings of innocent civilians under this oppressive, illegal occupation of by the SNM in Hargeisa administration and the government of Djibout.

On Tyranny, Timothy Snyder reported that history does not repeat, but it does instruct. Aristotle warned that inequality brought instability, while Plato believed that demagogues exploited people to install themselves as tyrants (3). We see that today in Djibouti government. The current escalated security crisis in Awdal are efforts from Djibouti to finally succeed in her long-time clan ambitions (Issa clan) to completely annex Awdal region and claim it as part of Djibouti. This is an open invasion by tribally financed and empowered forces traveling across the Djibouti and Ethiopian borders with a mere intention of establishing terror and control the Awdal region.

Read more: Overview of the Continuous Invasion of Djibouti Government on Awdal Region, Somalia

Dr Ali Bahar
Email: alibahar731@gmail.com
Awdal State Movement
awdalstatemovement.com