List of wars involving Somalia

This is a list of military conflicts in which Somali armed forces participated after independence.

Somalia defeat

Somalia victory

Another result (e.g. a treaty or peace without a clear result, result unknown or indecisive)

Ongoing conflict

Date	Conflict	Allies	Enemies	Result
1285-1286	Ifat invasion of Shewa Sultanate	Sultanate of Ifat	Sultanate of shewa	Ifat victory Gidaya, Dawaro, Sawans, Bali, and Fatagar incorporated into the Ifat Sultanate.
1529-1543	Ethiopian–Adal war	Adal Sultanate	Ethiopian Empire	Stalemate Return to status quo ante bellum
1507-1542	Battle of Benadir	Ajuran Sultanate	Portuguese Empire	Somali Victory Withdrawal of portuguese troops
1886-1908	Lafoole Massacre	Somalis	Italian Empire	Somali Victory
1900–1920	Somaliland Campaign	Dervish State Supported by: Ottoman Empire Ethiopian Empire (1915-1917)	British Empire Ethiopian Empire (1900-1904) Italian Empire	Defeat Collapse of Dervish movement Consolidation of British Somaliland Consolidation of Italian Somaliland
1922	1922 Burao tax revolt	Isaaq	British Empire	Somali victory
1963–1967	Shifta War	Northern Frontier District Liberation Movement Supported by: Somali Republic	Kenya Supported by: United Kingdom	Cease-fire Protectorate Tax Policy abandoned
1964	1964 Ethiopian–Somali Border War	Somalia Supported by: Egypt^[1]	Ethiopia Supported by: United States^[2]	Cease-fire Return to status quo ante bellum
1977	Rhamu Incident	Somalia	Kenya	Victory Kenyan forces retreat from NFD and request aid from Great Britain
1977–1978	Ogaden War	Somalia WSLF Supported by: Egypt^[3] Saudi Arabia^[4]^[5] Iraq^[5]^[6]	Ethiopia Cuba Soviet Union South Yemen^[7] Supported by: Israel^[8]^[9] East Germany North Korea^[10]	Defeat^[11]^[12] Somalia breaks all ties with the Soviet Bloc (except China and Romania).^[13] Beginning of the Somali Rebellion
1982	1982 Ethiopian–Somali Border War	Somalia Supported by: United States	Ethiopia	Victory Ethiopian invasion halted^[14]^[15] Ethiopia occupies the border towns of Galdogob and Balanbale until 1988^[16] The United States delivers emergency military and economic aid to Somalia^[14]^[17]
1993	Operation Gothic Serpent	Somalia	United States United Nations	Victory UNOSOM II Tactical Victory Somali National Alliance Strategic Victory
1981/1988/1991 (disputed) – present	Somali Civil War	Somalia United States ^[18]^[19] Supported by: Italy^[20] Turkey^[21] United Kingdom^[22]	Al-Qaeda Al-Shabaab Islamic State (from 2015)^[23]^[24] Wilayat al Somal	Ongoing De facto independence of Somaliland New Government formed in 2012

References

^ Mekonnen, Teferi (2018). "The Nile issue and the Somali-Ethiopian wars (1960s–78)". Annales d'Éthiopie. 32: 271–291. doi:10.3406/ethio.2018.1657.
^ Lefebvre, Jeffrey (1998). "The United States, Ethiopia and the 1963 Somali-Soviet Arms Deal: Containment and the Balance of Power Dilemma in the Horn of Africa". The Journal of Modern African Studies. 36 (4): 611–643. doi:10.1017/S0022278X98002870. JSTOR 161927. S2CID 154644957.
^ Mekonnen, Teferi (2018). "The Nile issue and the Somali-Ethiopian wars (1960s–78)". Annales d'Éthiopie. 32: 271–291. doi:10.3406/ethio.2018.1657.
^ Tareke 2000, p. 656.
^ ^a ^b Fitzgerald, Nina J. (2002). Somalia; Issues, History, and Bibliography. Nova Publishers. p. 64. ISBN 9781590332658.
^ Malovany, Pesach (21 July 2017). Wars of Modern Babylon. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813169453.
^ "Ogaden Area recaptured by Ethiopian Forces with Soviet and Cuban Support -International Ramifications of Ethiopian-Somali Conflict – Incipient Soviet and Cuban Involvement in Ethiopian Warfare against Eritrean Secessionists -Political Assassinations inside Ethiopia". Keesing's Record of World Events (formerly Keesing's Contemporary Archives). 1 May 1978.
^ Lefebvre, Jeffrey Alan. Arms for the horn : U.S. Security Policy in Ethiopia and Somalia. University of Pitsburg Press. p. 188.
^ "Arms and Rumors From East, West Sweep Ethiopia". Washington Postt. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
^ "North Korea's Military Partners in the Horn". The Diplomat. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
^ Lapidoth, Ruth (1982). The Read Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. ISBN 9024725011.
^ Szajkowski, Bogdan (18 June 1981). Marxist Governments_ A World Survey_ Mozambique-Yugoslavia. Springer. p. 656. ISBN 9781349043323.
^ Gorman 1981, p. 208
^ ^a ^b Cowell, Alan (8 October 1982). "Ethiopian Drive Against Somalia Bogs Down". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
^ "Ethiopian and Somali Forces Withdrawn Under Agreement". The New York Times. 26 April 1988.
^ "The History Guy: Ethiopia-Somalia Wars and Conflicts". Retrieved 21 July 2017.
^ "Somalia: Status of the Armed Forces" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. March 1982. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
^ "Al-Shabaab leader's fate unclear after suspected U.S. drone strike". CNN. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
^ "U.S. drone strike in Somalia targets al-Shabab leader". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
^ "US special forces base, Italian army convoy attacked in Somalia". Al Jazeera. 30 September 2019.
^ Liddon, Paul (13 July 2019). "The significance of Turkey's overseas military bases". AhvalNews. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
^ "First British troops arrive in Somalia as part of UN mission". The Guardian. 2 May 2016. Archived from the original on 2 May 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
^ "ISIL's First East African Affiliate Conducts Attacks in Somalia, Kenya". DefenseNews. December 29, 2015.
^ "Somalia: Pro-ISIL militants, Al Shabaab clash in deadly Puntland infighting". Garowe Online. December 24, 2015. Archived from the original on January 26, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.

Sources

Gorman, Robert F. (1981). Political Conflict on the Horn of Africa. Westport, CT: Praeger. ISBN 978-0-030-59471-7.
Tareke, Gebru (2000). "The Ethiopia-Somalia War of 1977 Revisited" (PDF). International Journal of African Historical Studies. 33 (3): 635–667. doi:10.2307/3097438. JSTOR 3097438.

[Tefei-1] Mekonnen, Teferi (2018). "The Nile issue and the Somali-Ethiopian wars (1960s–78)". Annales d'Éthiopie. 32: 271–291. doi:10.3406/ethio.2018.1657.

[Jeffrey-2] Lefebvre, Jeffrey (1998). "The United States, Ethiopia and the 1963 Somali-Soviet Arms Deal: Containment and the Balance of Power Dilemma in the Horn of Africa". The Journal of Modern African Studies. 36 (4): 611–643. doi:10.1017/S0022278X98002870. JSTOR 161927. S2CID 154644957.

[Teferi-3] Mekonnen, Teferi (2018). "The Nile issue and the Somali-Ethiopian wars (1960s–78)". Annales d'Éthiopie. 32: 271–291. doi:10.3406/ethio.2018.1657.

[Tareke_2000_656-4] Tareke 2000, p. 656.

[Nova_Publishers-5] Fitzgerald, Nina J. (2002). Somalia; Issues, History, and Bibliography. Nova Publishers. p. 64. ISBN 9781590332658.

[6] Malovany, Pesach (21 July 2017). Wars of Modern Babylon. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813169453.

[Keesing-7] "Ogaden Area recaptured by Ethiopian Forces with Soviet and Cuban Support -International Ramifications of Ethiopian-Somali Conflict – Incipient Soviet and Cuban Involvement in Ethiopian Warfare against Eritrean Secessionists -Political Assassinations inside Ethiopia". Keesing's Record of World Events (formerly Keesing's Contemporary Archives). 1 May 1978.

[8] Lefebvre, Jeffrey Alan. Arms for the horn : U.S. Security Policy in Ethiopia and Somalia. University of Pitsburg Press. p. 188.

[9] "Arms and Rumors From East, West Sweep Ethiopia". Washington Postt. Retrieved 9 September 2022.

[10] "North Korea's Military Partners in the Horn". The Diplomat. Retrieved 6 January 2018.

[11] Lapidoth, Ruth (1982). The Read Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. ISBN 9024725011.

[12] Szajkowski, Bogdan (18 June 1981). Marxist Governments_ A World Survey_ Mozambique-Yugoslavia. Springer. p. 656. ISBN 9781349043323.

[Gorman_1981_208-13] Gorman 1981, p. 208

[:3-14] Cowell, Alan (8 October 1982). "Ethiopian Drive Against Somalia Bogs Down". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 October 2018.

[15] "Ethiopian and Somali Forces Withdrawn Under Agreement". The New York Times. 26 April 1988.

[autogenerated2-16] "The History Guy: Ethiopia-Somalia Wars and Conflicts". Retrieved 21 July 2017.

[Status_of_the_Armed_Forces-17] "Somalia: Status of the Armed Forces" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. March 1982. Retrieved 20 October 2018.

[18] "Al-Shabaab leader's fate unclear after suspected U.S. drone strike". CNN. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2014.

[19] "U.S. drone strike in Somalia targets al-Shabab leader". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2017.

[20] "US special forces base, Italian army convoy attacked in Somalia". Al Jazeera. 30 September 2019.

[21] Liddon, Paul (13 July 2019). "The significance of Turkey's overseas military bases". AhvalNews. Retrieved 17 April 2021.

[auto-22] "First British troops arrive in Somalia as part of UN mission". The Guardian. 2 May 2016. Archived from the original on 2 May 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.

[23] "ISIL's First East African Affiliate Conducts Attacks in Somalia, Kenya". DefenseNews. December 29, 2015.

[24] "Somalia: Pro-ISIL militants, Al Shabaab clash in deadly Puntland infighting". Garowe Online. December 24, 2015. Archived from the original on January 26, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.

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v t e Lists of wars involving African countries
Sovereign states	Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Ivory Coast Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe
States with limited recognition	Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland
Dependencies and other territories	Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla (Spain) Madeira (Portugal) Mayotte / Réunion (France) Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom)