
Somalia |
Afghanistan |
||
1884--1954 |
independence struggle and Ogaden split with Ethiopia |
1838--1893 |
Indedependence struggle and Durrand Line border |
1969 |
Coup and socialist military regime under Barre |
1973 |
Daoud coup |
1977 |
Ogaden war |
1978 |
Socialist coup |
1980 |
Switch to US backing |
1980 |
Soviet invasion, US backs rebels |
1991 |
US overthrows socialist leader |
1989 |
Soviet withdrawal |
1990s |
Warlord chaos -> Shabab |
1990s |
Warlord chaos -> Taliban |
2001 |
US bombing Shabab |
2001 |
US invasion, bombing Taliban |
2006 |
US rejects ICU truce |
2006 |
Taliban resurgence |
2007+ |
US drones and bombs |
2007+ |
US troop surge, drones, bombs |
Somalia achieved independence only in 1960, and major general Said Barre took power in a coup in 1969. By the 1970s, Somalia was prospering, free of British/ Italian 'protection', socialist, a model third world state from the Soviet point of view, not yet targeted by the US. Ethiopia had a Nasser-like military coup in 1974 promising socialism next door. Sudan was at peace and pursuing a Nasserist policy under Colonel Gaafar Nimeiri. Nkruma’s dream of a united socialist Africa looked like it might actually be coming true.
At the top of the world, Afghanistan was following a similar trajectory, though somewhat delayed. It had been left in peace since the 1920s, recognizing and living peacefully with the socialist monolith to the north, slowly modernizing. But, just as in Somalia, its intelligentsia was attracted to socialism.