472 Chapter 4
MID#1428
Dispute Number: 1428
Date(s): December 1975 to December 20, 1975
Participants: 520 Somalia/530 Ethiopia
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Ethiopia accused Somalia of using agents and guerrillas to incite violence
in southeastern Ethiopia. Ethiopia also stated that Somalia was mobilizing troops
along the border.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from December 14, 1975. End Date changed
from January 4, 1976.
MID#2069
Dispute Number: 2069
Date(s): February 22, 1977 to March 9, 1978
Participants: 520 Somalia/40 Cuba, 530 Ethiopia
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side B (None)
Fatalities: >999 deaths
Narrative: Somalia fought a year-long war with Ethiopia over the Ogaden, a predom-
inantly Somali and Muslim enclave in internationally recognized Ethiopian territory.
Somali interest was largely irredentist and supportive of the Western Somali Lib-
eration Front operating within Ethiopia. Cuba’s foray into the conflict reversed their
traditional role. Rather than support the Somali Communists against the Western-
backed Ethiopian government, Cuban troops came to the assistance of the Ethiopians
as the Soviets tried to displace the United States as the most significant foreign ally
of Ethiopian interests.
The joint forces of the Cubans and Ethiopians were too much for the Somali forces,
who conceded defeat on March 9, 1978, and started their withdrawal.
Coding changes: End Date changed from March 14, 1978.
MID#2070
Dispute Number: 2070
Date(s): March 31, 1978 to February 7, 1979
Participants: 530 Ethiopia/520 Somalia
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: Missing
Narrative: On April 14, 1978, the Ethiopian ambassador to Kenya threatened to
invade Somalia if it did not end its support for the guerrillas within Ethiopia. The
Somali presence did not cease, and reports continued of Ethiopians being killed in
small numbers on a regular basis. Two months later on June 22, the Somali govern-
ment reported air raids on the towns of Borama and Gebile and villages between the
city of Hargeisa and the Ethiopian border. Six months later, on December 21, there