Self-determination for Ogaden

In mid-1977 ethnic Somalis living in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, started a war to win self-determination. Somalia armed the rebels and even contributed troops to the effort. By late 1977 the Somalis had captured most of the Ogaden.

Ethiopia, with aid from the USSR and Cuba, won back control over the region in early 1978. Somalia's army incurred heavy losses. At the same time, Ethiopia provided support to Somalia's dissident movements, based mainly in the north, who were then in a position to launch incursions across the border.

The fighting brought an estimated two million refugees into Somalia. The United States gave both humanitarian and military aid and was in return granted use of the naval facilities at Berbera, previously a Soviet base. Hostilities with Ethiopia continued occasionally until 1988, when a temporary peace agreement was reached.