INFORMATION HIGHLIGHTS:
Official Name: Al-Jumhouriyya es-Somoliyya ed-Democratiyya (Somali
Democratic Republic) Capital Mogadishu. Form of Government military
dictatorship. Area 673,1405 sq km (246,000 sq; miles). Land use Arabic
land 2%, meadows and pastures 46%. Forest and woodland 14%, others
38 %, Permanent
crop 0%. Landboundries. Total, 2366Km. Djibouti 58Km, Ethiopia
626Km, Kenya 682Km. Coastline, 3025Km. Population, 6,666,873 (July
1994 est;) Population growth rate 3.24 (1994 est.) Birth rate 45.97 births
(1000 population). Death rate 13.53 deaths (1000 population). Life
expectancy, male 54.49 years, female 55.01 years. Ethnic divisions
Somali 85%, Bantu, Arabs, 30,000. Europeans 3,000. Asian 800,
Religion Islam, Sunni Muslim. Language Somali, (official). Arabic,
Italian, English, literacy, male 36%, female 14%. Airport 76, useable 59
Ports, 4. Mogadishu, Berbera, Chisimayu. Bender Cassim. Industries
Sugar refining, textiles, other industries shut down by the widespread
destruction during the civil war. Imports:- Petroleum products, foodstuffs
constructions material. Export: Bananas, live animal, fish, hides.
Agricultural products cattle, sheep, goats, crops, bananas, sorghum, com,
mangoes, sugar cane, fishing. Minerals: Iran, tin, gypsum, bauxite
uranium. legislative branch. Peoples Assemble judicial branch. Supreme
Court (non-functioning) Executive branch. Somalia has no functioning
government. President Said was reelected without opposition. Landforces
60,000, Navy 2000, Airforce 2500, Paramilitary 29500 (including People
militia 20,000).
Somalia is located on the horn of Africa in East African, bordering
the northwestern Indian ocean, south of the Arabian Peninsula
Topographically, there are four natural divisions; the Guhan, the northen
highlands, the ago, including the Mudug Plain, and the Somali Platean
including the hand. In general, there is only limited contrast among thes
regions.
The northern coastal plains, which stretch from the Gulf of Tadjour
along the Gulf of Aden into Mijirtein region, are known as Guban (burned land) from its semi-arid and parched condition. Island this coasted strip
gives way to the rugged mountain ranges that extend from Ethiopia to the
tip of the Horn at cape Guardafui, the eastern most point of Africa. This
range contains the country’s highest point, Surud Ad (2408 meters, 7900
ft).
INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES:
Southern half of boundary with Ethiopia is a Provisional
Administrative line; territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the Ogaden.
POLITICAL SITUATION:
The United Nations in 1949 approved eventual creation of Somalia
as a sovereign state, and in 1950 Italy took over the trusteeship held by
Great Britain since world War II.
Britains Somaliland was formed in the 19th century in the NW.
Britain gave it independence on 26th June 1960; on July first it joined with
the former Italian part to create the independent Somali Republic.
On October 21, 1969, a Supreme Revolutionary Council seized
power in bloodless coup, named a council of secretaries of state, and
abolished the Assembly. In May 1970, several foreign companies were
nationalized.
Somalia has laid claim to Ogaden, the huge eastern region of
Ethiopia, peopled mostly by Somalis. Ethiopia battled Somali rebels in
1977. some 11,000 Cuban troops with Soviet arms defeated Somali army
troops and ethnic Somali rebels in Ethiopia in 1978. As many as 1.5
million refugees entered Somalia. Guerrilla fighting in Ogaden continued
until 1988, when a peace agreement was reached with Ethiopia.
Twenty one years of one man rule ended in January 1991 with the
fight of General Muhammad Siyad Barre from the capital. Fighting
between rival factions caused 40,000 casualties in 1991 and 1992, and by
mid 1992 the civil war, drought and banditry combined to produced a
famine that threatened some 1.5 million people with starvation. In July
1992, the UN Secretary General declared Somalia to be a country without
a government.
In December 1992 the UN accepted a U.S. offer of troops in
safeguard the delivery of food to the starving. The UN took central of the
multinational relief effect from the U.S. May 4, 1993. While the operation helped alleviate the famine, efforts to reestablish order foundered, and
there were significant U.S. and other casualties. The U.S. with drew in
peace keeping forces on 25th March, 1994. When the last UN troops
functioning pulled out an 3rd March, 1995, Mogadishu still had no
government, and armed factions controlled different parts of the country.
General Mohammad Farah Aideed’s main rival in Mogadishu
Ali Mahdi Muhammad, a Mogadishu businessman Mogadishu while
Aideed’s forces controlled the more strategic southern quarters of the
capital. Aideed’s fiefdom included the docks on the sea and the airpor
Aideed and Ali Mahdi were bath members of the United Somali Congress
and of the Hawiye clan that prevailed in Mogadishu, but Aideed belonged
to the Habar-Gedir subclan and Ali Mahdi to the Abgal subclan. The
government of Djibouti, Egypt and Italy brokered a conference in Mas
1991 in Djibouti, at which Ali Mahdi declared himself President of
Somalia and appointed a cabinet. But Aideed, who had been elected panty
chairman at a conference of the United Somali Congress, boycotted the
Djibouti meeting against him.
Radio Mogadishu controlled by Aideed, began a hate campaign,
lambasting the U.N. and the United States as aggressors intent on
colonizing Somalia and turning it back into trusteeship. The Radio
exhorted Somalis to recall a glorious past when they resisted foreign
domination. An angry U.N. staff drew up plans to shut down the radio if
it kept such attacks. On June 5, Pakistani Peace Keepers made what they
called a routine inspection of five sites where Aideed’s militia had agreed
to store weapons. Aideed’s militiamen mingled in the crowds, kept behind
women and children, and then fired at the U.N. peace keeper. Pakistani
Units were ambushed in other areas of the city. The fury of the Aideed
weaponry surprised the U.N. At the end of the day, twenty four Pakistani
were dead and fifty seven injured. Another six were captured, one of them
dying in detention.
The world seemed ready to forget Somalia in a few minutes, but the
sacrifices of Pakistani army soldiers in Somalia intervention for peace will
not be forgotten.