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Somalia
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Somalia is granted independence.
The president of Somalia is assassinated and a military group, led by Major General Siad Barre, seizes power. Barre declares Somalia to be a socialist state, and renames it the Somali Democratic Republic. He increases ties with the Soviet Union and other Communist countries.
Somali joins the Arab League.
Warfare breaks out in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. Ethnic Somalis staying there rebel against the Ethiopian government. They are supported by the Somali government, who is able to capture most of the Ogaden by late 1977.
Ethiopia, supported by the Soviet Union and Cuba, take back control over the Ogaden. Refugees flood from Ogaden into Somalia. Somalia breaks ties with the Soviet Union. In the meantime Ethiopia signs a treaty of friendship with the Soviet Union.
A U.S.-led multinational force is sent into Somalia to secure food supplies and bring calm to the country. But an increase in clan-based fighting, along with numerous attacks on the multinational force, causes the force to withdraw.
President Barre is overthrown by rebel clans. No one group or person emerges to fill the resulting power vacuum in Somalia. In Mogadishu, Mohammed Ali Mahdi is proclaimed president by one group, and Mohammed Aidid by another. Factional fighting and famine follow.
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