As Somaliland marks its 31st year as a self-declared independent state, its most challenging period in history remains obscured beneath the sands, contributing to the extensive list of struggles across the African continent.
The Dila Massacre, the focal atrocity, involved a series of mass executions carried out by Isaaq clan members against the Gadabursi clan during and following the collapse of the Somali government in 1991.
Ethiopian Backing for the Somali National Movement
In the 1980s, individuals from the Isaaq clan formed an alliance known as the Somali National Movement (SNM). Ethiopia, aiming to overthrow the Siad Barre regime, played a key role by hosting the SNM’s main headquarters and providing support. Mengistu Haile Mariam, and to a lesser extent, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, supported the rebel organization.
Ethiopia deployed troops to aid the SNM in cross-border operations against the Somali government, primarily within Gadabursi territory spanning Ethiopia and Somalia. These incursions intensified the conflict between the factions. In the spring of 1988, Barre and Mengistu mutually agreed not to support rebel organizations operating in each other’s countries.
During the summer of 1988, the SNM initiated surprise attacks on cities in northern Somalia, sparking a full-scale civil war with the Barre regime. Despite Mengistu’s breach of the peace treaty with Barre, the SNM received additional support from the Ethiopian military during these operations.
Ethiopia consistently provided anti-tank weapons, ammunition, and supplies during the SNM’s attacks. Mengistu continued supporting the SNM, as well as other Somali guerrilla groups like USC (Hawiye clan in central Somalia) and SPM (Ogaden clan in the south) until February 1991.
Destruction and Mass slaughter in Awdal Region
The SNM primarily carried out incursions in northern Somalia, focusing on the Awdal region. To impede the Somali National Army’s progress and prevent rebel apprehension, the SNM initiated a mining operation. Gadabursi-inhabited areas were notably heavily mined by SNM rebels during this period.
To sustain operations against the Somali National Army in the north, the SNM employed car bombs targeting Somali National Army vehicles. In Borama, the largest Gadabursi city in Somalia, these car bombings resulted in a significant loss of Gadabursi citizens’ lives and caused widespread chaos in the town.
Frustrated by the SNM’s actions in their homeland, the Gadabursi people initiated a planned insurrection. In retaliation for the SNM’s terrorism in the region, the Somali government also attacked innocent Awdal residents during the same year.
In January 1991, the Somali government crumbled, trapping and exposing Awdal inhabitants to the SNM insurgents. The Gadabursi were horrified by the new Somali government’s decision to disintegrate the National Army and prepared to defend their country against rebels. In February 4th, 1991, the SNM entered Borama, murdering up to 1000 people and displacing 5,000 inhabitants, causing significant devastation.
Between January and March 1991, the SNM engaged in murder and violence against Gadabursi clan members. The SNM militia’s actions spiraled out of control, leading to the burning and pillaging of Gadabursi individuals fleeing their violent attacks. Dila, Somalia’s second-largest Gadabursi city, faced destruction from SNM bombardments and artillery. Entire Gadabursi families were targeted and killed, with the SNM also ransacking Borama, the major city in the Awdal region.
The aftermath of the offensive
Contrary to the demise of the Somali regime in the late 1980s, local reports suggest that the SNM targeted not only the regime but specifically the Gadabursi clan. Dila, a Gadabursi settlement, was destroyed and left in ruins by the SNM. The property, both rural and urban, belonging to citizens of Dila, ended up in the hands of SNM rebels, who asserted that they were settling “centuries-old tribal scores.”
The Reer Nuur, a Gadabursi sub-clan, were the main victims of this whole offensive. This sub-clan traditionally served as a buffer between the other Gadabursis and the Isaaqs and were found in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Dila, as well as Borama, had no military presence and posed no threat. The attacks were seen as sheer hatred towards other local clans and a revenge for not siding with them against the government. In short, the violence unleashed by the SNM amounted to ethnic cleansing.
The SNM continued their mass killings while occupying Borama and the surrounding areas. Around 80,000 Awdal residents fled to Ethiopia and settled in Tog-Wajaale and Awbare refugee camps to escape the violence.
Somaliland had elections in 2021, claiming to be a paragon of democracy and self-determination, but anybody in the separate state who mentions the Dila Massacre is imprisoned and tortured. I encourage all Africans to remember the Dila Massacre and the victims of that catastrophe.
