This stamp is not real. There is no evidence that any of the three+ different warlord areas of Somalia circa 1997 had a functioning postal system. Thus whoever printed this stamp either just pretended to have authority to do so or perhaps paid the self proclaimed warlords Minister of Post for the right. Notice the spelling of Somalia is not even the local way. Cute dog though. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
Between 1969 and 1991, Somalia had a socialist government under former General Barre. Barre tried to regain what he thought were more traditional Somali borders incorporating areas of Ethiopia gained in WWII and he hoped that French Somaliland would join with Somalia when it decolonized. This might lead to less fighting between clans and a better chance at progress. He also attempted a move from Arabic to the Latin alphabet as a precursor to a literacy push.
His efforts made many enemies. Trying to retake part of Ethiopia in the chaos after Emperor Selassie was deposed lead to a big war. The eastern bloc cut off arms to him and gave heavy support to the Derg in power in Ethiopia. His attempt to send many Somalis to vote on Djibouti’s plebiscite on their future was not successful. Now Barri had estranged himself from East, from West, and from religious leaders. Trouble was coming.
Several former leaders in Barre’s period formed what they called the United Somali Congress with a political arm in Rome and a military arm in Ethiopia. It leaders were all members of the Hawiye clan. Obviously such a thing would be a front but I wonder if their backers realized they were just one clan of many. The leaders were Muhammed Farah Aided and Ali Mahdi. Aidid, a former General, intelligence chief, and Ambassador to India. He was trained at the Frunze Military Academy in the Soviet Union. Ali Mahdi was an “entrepanuer”. After Barri was forced out of Mogadishu in 1991 the United Somali Congress became less than united. Mahdi was named interim President at a conference in Djibouti that was boycotted by Aidid. Aidid then also declared himself President. Northern Somali, the old British part, did not recognize either and declared itself independent.
Into this warlord mess western powers sent military force in to protect aid shipments to the people and became targets. The USA/UN decided Aidid was the problem and began siding against him. This lead to the famous Blackhawk Down battles. Interestingly Aidid’s son Hussein was serving in the USA Marines having immigrated to the USA at age 17. He functioned as a translator as no Marines spoke Somali. There doesn’t seem any sense that they realized who he was or what his loyalties if any, were. The USA/UN mission ended and the warlord period continued. In 1996 Hussein left the Marines and became a naturalized USA citizen. In 1996 Aidid was killed and the Hawiye clan named Hussein the new head of the clan. Remember his father had declared himself President and now his son did the same.
Hussein was more willing to negotiate. He withdrew his Presidential claims and accepted a role of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Works, as if there were any, in a new Djibouti formed transitional government. This was done to get western aid flowing again. He was now marketing himself as leader opposed to Al Queda infiltration. He went into exile in 2008 with a big pile of money.
Well my drink is empty. I would pour another to toast the handsome dogs of Somalia but all the wasted aid lavished on Somalia has left those of us in the West and East strapped. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.