Pinky,
The government was protecting the cities by bombing from them air? Oh,really? Then they later tried to displace the clans that lived there by bringing other clans from parts of Ethiopia (ogadens) and resettling them.Similar to ethnic cleansing.They tried to get rid of the ''problematic clan'' as a solution.
Was that the same clan (Ogaden) that formed the SPM and rebelled against the government?
No country in the world would tolerate an armed invasion by a rebel group funded primarily by their neighbors, who constitute an existential threat to everything they worked hard to build.
If Texas were to receive military aid from Mexico to overthrow Washington, do you think Obama would hesitate dropping an H-Bomb?
If Eastern Somaliland was given weapons by Djibouti, what would Siilaanyo's response be today?
You can ask Ogadens members themselves, I wont speak for them. But what I do know, is Barre used their reer miyi folks and equipped them to fight against SNM. But because SNM was supported whether by heart or actions by the Isaaq, it was eventually a government vs clan war. They used qabiils against each other and fought on that basis, 'Daarood should take the whole of the North regions' , bring ogadens as refugees so that later they can take over left over property and land. This was planned way before the war broke out and refugees stayed amongst the people in Hargeisa.
Its pretty simple to me. Its not
why was the government fighting back, its why use disproportionate force + pure clannism. The mission was to completely remove isaaq from their northern territories either by displacement or death, ''Isaaq Tir Tir'' was what some would proudly shout.
Siilanyo would have no right to target all of those who belong to the eastern clan or displace them on a clan basis, if he did, I would be the first to defend them.
All Barre had to do, was leave his position. Nothing else.
Its the decisions of those in charge that is important whether they be generals or presidents, because many of whom were foot soldiers were given false information about what they were fighting.