Somaliland And Puntland: Lost Between The Lines
In 1978, a year after the fierce war between Ethiopia and Somalia over the Ogaden region, an attempted coup led by Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf failed. Following the incident, Abdullahi fled to Ethiopia, where he went on to organize an armed opposition movement known as the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF). Prior to this event, Abdullahi had already been planning to overthrow the central government, even before the Ogaden war began. Having recently been released from a long imprisonment under the regime, he was prepared a move against the ruling milatary regime. However, with the Somali government mobilizing for the national campaign to “liberate” the Somali-inhabited territories under Ethiopian control, Abdullahi decided to postpone his coup attempt. He feared that acting at such a critical time might make him appear as though he were opposing the national cause and undermine his personal and military reputation. A determined and politically astute man, Abdullahi chose instead...