The United States in Somalia

“Operation Restore Hope”

August – October 1992

Where is Somalia?

Brief History of Somalia

• Post-World War II– Was a protectorate of Great Britain

• 1960– Achieved independence

• 1970s– Military dictatorship

• Under Mohamed Siad Barre

• 1980s– Somalia's strategic importance was diminished due to

end of the Cold War– Government became even more totalitarian

Somali Civil War – 1991

• Results of the Somali Civil War – Barre is ousted from leadership– Disrupted agriculture, food & water distribution– Based on clan allegiances and competition for

resources

Somali Civil War – 1991

• More Results– Famine – approx.

300,000 dead– UN Security

Council authorized the limited peacekeeping operation

• Completely disregarded by the warring factions

Warlords

• The country was ruled by a number of warlords– A person with power who has

military and civil control over a an area

– Armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central government

• Alliance of warlords was formed in 1992– Operated under the authority of

Mohamed Farrah Aidid– Declared himself President of

Somalia

United States Response

• In December of 1992, President Bush ordered Operation Restore Hope– Primary mission of

restoring order in Somalia

• President Bill Clinton took office in January 1993 and continued the Operation

The Home-Front

• Many Somalis resented the international forces– Many took up arms and

actively resisted the UN and US

• On June 5, 1993, one of the deadliest attacks on UN forces in Somalia occurred – 24 UN soldiers were killed in

Mogadishu (controlled by Aidid)

The UN Responds

• The next day, the UN issued Resolution 837 calling for the arrest and trial of those responsible for the ambush – US and UN began an

attack on Aidid’s control– Aidid remained defiant,

and the violence between Somalis and UN troops escalated

The Battle of Mogadishu

• Fought on October 3 and 4, 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia

• Operation was to capture top officials to Aidid

The Battle of Mogadishu

• During the operation, two US Black Hawk helicopters were shot down – Some soldiers were trapped at

the crash sites– A combined task force was

sent to rescue the trapped soldiers

• Results– US Forces

• 19 Killed• 84 Wounded

– Somali Forces• Est. 700+ Killed • Est. 1,500 Wounded

Fallout from Mogadishu

Fallout from Mogadishu

• American Foreign Policy

• Became a cautionary influence on US policy – When US considers sending soldiers into foreign

crisis zones – “remember Somalia”

• Americans were repulsed at the images of soldiers' corpses being dragged through the streets

The End of International Involvement

• Withdrawal– President Clinton called

for a full withdrawal by March 1994.

• Marines were completely removed from the area by 1995

– The UN also withdrew forces

• Ended the UN effort to help a country in anarchy and civil war

The End of International Involvement

• Results– Secretary of Defense

Les Aspin resigned• Blamed for denying

the US Army permission to use tanks

– US politicians didn’t want tanks in Somalia

• Thought it would look bad for “peacekeeping”

THE END