A Somali General Abdullahi Ahmed Jama talks about Ogaden War:
Among the most far-reaching consequences of colonialism in Africa has been the partition of the continent into political units whose borders were determined on the basis of European interests. Where ethnic groups were divided by an artificial border, there is pressure for territorial revisions with the object of achieving unity within the borders of one state. Such pressures are at the root of the political problems of the Horn of Africa. The Ethiopian denial of the Ogaden Somalis' rights for self-determination set the stage for an inevitable conflict, involving not merely the local Africans but outside governments and even the superpowers. The local conflict on the Horn permitted the application of Soviet power and militated against a commensurate Western response; thus the Russian intervention reversed the outcome of the conflict in favor of Ethiopia militarily at the present time. The purpose of this paper is to describe the struggle of the Somalis for their freedom and complete independence from colonialism, in general, and the Ogaden Somalis, in particular, who are trying to achieve what their brothers achieved already and with their help
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In 1977, Somalia was involved in an all out war with Ethiopia over the
Ogaden region, and the Somali conquest of the Ogaden would undoubtedly have
been successful except for foreign, particularly Russian, intervention.
Somalia broke with Soviet bloc countries, expelled the Russians and
severed diplomatic relations with Cuba. Communist reaction was very quick.
Their determination to punish Somalia was very strong, and their airlift of
Soviet arms and military equipment to Ethiopia was massive and quick. What
also resulted in Ethiopia was the expulsion of the United States military
mission and from Ethiopia. By early 1978, the Russians had concentrated large
amounts of arms, equipment, and military personnel in Ethiopia. Cuban troops
from different places, but mainly from Angola, South Yemeni troops, Libyans,
and East Germans were in preparation for conducting the final and fatal blow
to Somalia
