In a remarkable account within his memoir, Ismail Omar Guelleh, the President of Djibouti since 1999, candidly disclosed his clandestine yet pivotal support for Ethiopia during the Ogaden War against Somalia.
Penned by journalist Chérif Ouazani, the enthralling 239-page book titled “Ismail Omar Guelleh, One History of Djibouti,” initially published in French in 2016 by Publisher Jaguar édition-conseil in Paris, has shed light on this intriguing chapter in history.
Chérif Ouazani, a former journalist with the newspaper Jeune Afrique, is believed to have authored the book in collaboration with and with the encouragement of the long-serving Djibouti dictator himself.
Given the long-standing close ties between Jeune Afrique, Chérif Ouazani and Guelleh, speculations have emerged regarding financial support from the Djibouti President.
The memoir provides captivating insights into the events surrounding the Ogaden War and delves into the intricacies of international relations during that turbulent era.
By exploring the details presented by Guelleh, readers gain a deeper understanding of the complex geopolitical landscape that shaped the conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia.
BACKING ETHIOPIA
The book chronicles Guelleh’s challenging journey, from serving as the Director of Djibouti Presidency, responsible for security and intelligence, to facing the immense responsibilities that came with the eruption of the Ogaden War just 15 days after Djibouti declared an independence.
The war led to a significant influx of refugees into Djibouti, resulting in economic burden for the tiny horn of Africa nation.
During that critical time, according to the memoir, Djibouti had faced two urgent political challenges.
Firstly, it had to stop the operations of the Somalia’s Intelligence within its borders to avoid being perceived as aligned with Somalia by Ethiopia. To address this concern, Guelleh, then the Presidential Director had to employ the assistance of the LPAI ( Ligue populaire africaine pour l’indépendance) network, which played a major role in the country’s independence struggle, effectively disengaging Djibouti from supporting Somalia’s war efforts.
Secondly, Djibouti was tasked by the Ethiopian government to ensure the secure transportation of military and civilian equipment imported through the Doraleh Port and destined for Ethiopia.
In coordination with Ethiopia, Djibouti Intelligence has orchestrated a covert operation to convey the logistics and equipment to Ethiopia without implicating itself in the conflict.
According to Guelleh, planning and executing the operation in support of Ethiopia with utmost discretion in selecting transport personnel to prevent potential spies of Somalia from exposing his secret support for Ethiopia was of paramount importance for his regime as the majority of Djibouti’s population supported Somalia during the war.
LPAI- AFRICAN PEOPLE’S LEAGUE
Djibouti’s LPAI, known as African People’s League for the Independence, the largest network was instrumental in the selection of reliable pilots for transporting military cargoes to Ethiopia under the cover of night. As the operation unfolded, special precautions were taken to ensure the security of containers in Djibouti’s free zone during the secret transportations to Ethiopia.
Ethiopia’s acquisition of substantial military equipment from the Soviet Union through Djibouti’s ports tipped the balance in its favor and led to the end of the war with Somalia in March 1978.
Ethiopia’s victory didn’t come by surprise for many. It came as after the collapse of the once-strong alliance between the Soviet Union and Somalia in the early 1970s due to a series of underlying tensions.
Their relations soured after the late former Somali President, Mohamed Siad Barre’s government, initially a socialist ally of the Soviet bloc, started to drift away from Moscow’s influence, seeking to balance its foreign relations with the West. That shift in foreign policy had created fissures between Somalia and its long-time supporter, the Soviet Union.
The tipping point came in 1977 when a full-scale war broke out between Ethiopia and Somalia over the disputed Ogaden region. The Soviet Union, then fully backed Ethiopia, providing military aid and assistance, hereby helping the tide in Ethiopia’s favor.
Nonetheless, many Somali veterans believe the delivery of Russia’s military support to Ethiopia would have likely proved more difficult to arrive at least in timely manner due to the then effective Somalia’s air power without Djibouti’s unforeseen secret facilitation which many say caught Somalia which had a favourable view of Djibouti as brotherly neighbour off guard.
As per his Memoir, Guelleh laments that Djibouti played a crucial role in supporting Ethiopia during the war, but Ethiopia’s former Marxist leader, Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam, did not show gratitude to Djibouti’s leaders after the conflict. Instead, he stated that Ethiopia started harassing and putting undue pressure on Djibouti, which was then a newly established government.
Nonetheless, Djibouti’s actions during the Somali-Ethiopian War of 1978 had significant repercussions, shaping regional dynamics and diplomacy.
NOTE TO OUR READERS: if you may be interested to read the original story which was written in French, please refer to the pages of 97, 98, and 99 of Guelleh’s Memoir titled; Ismaïl Omar Guelleh: une histoire de Djibouti.
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