1964 Ethiopian–Somali Border War

The Ogaden region of Ethiopia, where the fighting took place

After the independence and unification of British Somaliland and the Trust Territory of Somaliland on July 1, 1960, one of the major goals of the Somali Republic was the unification of Greater Somalia, which included the Somali region in Ethiopia. The Somali government supported the Bale revolt led by Waqo Gutu that began in 1962.[7] On 16 June 1963, after the Ethiopian government attempted to collect taxes, Somali guerrillas started an insurgency at Hodayo, a watering place north of Werder. The guerrillas were greatly supported by the Somali government and operated in lowland Hararghe and Bale provinces. Their numbers eventually grew to about 3,000, but they never posed a serious threat to the government. Their guerrilla tactics were unsophisticated and the Ethiopian army was able to engage and disperse them on several occasions.[8]

Clashes broke out between Ethiopian forces and insurgents who demanded to reunite with their co-ethnic Somalis in the Republic. Haile Selassie rejecting their demand, used brutal repressive crackdowns against the Somalis in the Ogaden region, finally caused clashes between Somali and Ethiopian forces in 1964. The new Somali government, despite being weak, had felt obliged to response by supporting its brethren under foreign subjugation.[9]

In early February 1964, the Somali Army attacked Ethiopian police units at Inaguha (southeast of Jijiga), Dabagoryale (northeast of Aware), Ferfer, Yät, and Dolo, with most of its forces attacking Togochale (northeast of Jijiga). In response, Ethiopia sent an airborne company, an infantry battalion, an artillery battery, and a mechanized platoon with M24 tanks to Togochale,[6] and with support from the air force, which began punitive strikes across the southwestern frontier against Feerfeer (northeast of Beledweyne) and Galkacyo, the Somali army was quickly routed.[10][11]

On 6 April 1964, Somalia and Ethiopia agreed to a cease-fire. At the end of the month, the two sides signed an accord in Khartoum, Sudan, agreeing to withdraw their troops from the border, cease hostile propaganda, and start peace negotiations.[12][13] The border war also led the Organisation of African Unity to pass the Cairo declaration in July 1964 that called on all member states to respect existing borders.[14] The Khartoum negotiations led to the end of the Somali insurrection in the Ogaden for a time,[4] but it would be restarted in Somalia's next attempt to annex the Ogaden with the Ogaden War in 1977.