Somaliland campaign

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Somaliland Campaign
Part of the Scramble for Africa and World War I (1914–1918)
Aerial bombardment of Dervish forts in Taleh in February 1920
Date 1900–1920 (20 years) Location Somaliland Result British-Italian victory Collapse of the Dervish movement Consolidation of British Somaliland Consolidation of Italian Somaliland
Belligerents
British Empire  Italy  Ethiopia (1900–1904)	Dervish movement
Commanders and leaders
Menelik II	Mohammed Abdullah Hassan Haji Sudi † Nur Ahmed Aman Ismail Mire
Casualties and losses
200 British dead[1] 1,700 assorted ethnicities KAR	4,000 dead[1]
100,000–150,000 Somali civilians killed[1]

The Somaliland Campaign, also called the Anglo-Somali War or the Dervish War, was a series of military expeditions that took place between 1900 and 1920 in modern-day Somalia. The British were assisted in their offensives by the Ethiopian Empire and the Kingdom of Italy.

During the

Although nominally part of the Ottoman Empire, Yemen and the sahil, including Zeila, came progressively under the control of Muhammad Ali, Khedive of Egypt, between 1821 and 1841.^[4] After the Egyptians withdrew from the Yemeni seaboard in 1841, Haj Ali Shermerki, a successful and ambitious Somali merchant, purchased from them executive rights over Zeila. Shermerki's governorship had an instant effect on the city, as he manoeuvred to monopolize as much of the regional trade as possible, with his sights set as far as Harar and the Ogaden.^[5] Shermerki was later succeeded as Governor of Zeila by Abu Bakr Pasha, a local Afar statesman.^[6]

In 1874–75, the Khedivate of Egypt obtained a firman from the Ottomans by which they secured claims over the city. At the same time, the Egyptians received British recognition of their nominal jurisdiction as far east as Cape Guardafui.^[4] In practice, however, Egypt had little authority over the interior and their period of rule on the coast was brief, lasting only a few years (1870–84).^[6]

The British Somaliland protectorate was subsequently established in the late 1880s after the ruling Somali authorities signed a series of protection treaties granting the British access to their territories on the northwestern coast. Among the Somali signatories were the Gadabuursi (1884), Habar Awal (1884 and 1886),^[7] and Warsangali.^[8]

When the Egyptian garrison in Harar was eventually evacuated in 1885, Zeila became caught up in the competition between the Tadjoura-based French and the British for control of the strategic Gulf of Aden littoral. By the end of 1885, the two powers were on the brink of armed confrontation, but opted instead to negotiate.^[6] On 1 February 1888 they signed a convention defining the border between French Somaliland and British Somaliland.^[9]

Italian Somaliland

The

In return for Italian arms and an annual subsidy, the Sultans conceded to a minimum of oversight and economic concessions.[11] The Italians also agreed to dispatch a few ambassadors to promote both the sultanates' and their own interests.^[12] The new protectorates were thereafter managed by Vincenzo Filonardi through a chartered company.^[11] An Anglo-Italian border protocol was later signed on 5 May 1894, followed by an agreement in 1906 between Cavalier Pestalozza and General Swaine acknowledging that Buraan fell under the Majeerteen Sultanate's administration.^[12]

Campaigns

1900–1902

The first offensive campaign was led by the

In 1901, the British joined with the Ethiopians and attacked the Dervishes with a force 1,500 strong. The Haroun was driven across the border into the Majeerteen Sultanate, which had been incorporated into the Italian protectorate.^[13] The Ethiopians failed to get a hold on the eastern Ogaden and the British were eventually forced to retreat, having accomplished none of their goals. In this campaign, "borders were ignored by both British and Somali."^[13]

Lt-Col. Alexander Cobbe of 1st (Central Africa) Battalion, King's African Rifles, was awarded the Victoria Cross for his action at Erego, on 6 October 1902.^[14]

February–June 1903

The British became convinced of their need of Italian assistance. In 1903, the Italian Foreign Ministry permitted the British to land forces at Hobyo (Obbia). An Italian naval commander off Hobyo feared "that the expedition will end in a fiasco; the Mad Mullah will become a myth for the British, who will never come across him, and a serious worry for ... our sphere of influence."^[15]

The relationship between Hobyo and Italy soured when Sultan Kenadid refused the Italians' proposal to allow British troops to disembark in his Sultanate so that they might then pursue their battle against

After the failure of General Manning's offensive, General Charles Egerton was entrusted with a response. Following extensive preparations, he united his field force at Bacaadweeyn (Badwein) on 9 January 1904 and defeated the Haroun at Jidballi the next day. The British and their allies from Hobyo harassed the Haroun along their retreat, and lost many of his camels and livestock throughout February.^[21]

In early March, the second phase of operations began. The Ethiopians advanced as far as Gerlogubi but turned back in early April. The Italian Navy bombarded Ilig in the winter to no effect. On 16 April, three ships of the East Indies Station under Rear Admiral George Atkinson-Willes left Berbera planning to capture Ilig in cooperation with an advance overland.^[22] The attack on Ilig took place on 21 April. A Royal Naval detachment, reinforced by three companies of the Royal Hampshire Regiment, stormed and captured the forts at Illig, the ships' guns supporting the attack. The British lost 3 men killed and 11 wounded, and the Dervishes 58 killed and 14 wounded.^[23] The naval detachment remained ashore for four days, assisted by an Italian naval detachment that arrived on 22 April. Control of Ilig was finally relinquished to Ali Yusuf of Hobyo.^[24] Having defeated his forces in the field and forced his retreat, the British "offered the Mullah safe conduct into permanent exile at Mecca"; the Haroun did not reply.^[18]

1920

Following the end of World War I, British troops once again turned their attention to the disturbances in British Somaliland. The Dervishes had previously defeated British forces at the Battle of Dul Madoba in 1913. Four subsequent British expeditions against Hassan and his soldiers had also failed.^[25]

In 1920, British forces launched a final campaign against Hassan's Dervishes. Although the majority of the combat took place in January of the year, British troops had begun preparations for the assault as early as November 1919. The British forces were led by the Royal Air Force and the ground component included the Somaliland Camel Corps. After three weeks of battle, the Dervishes were finally defeated, bringing an effective end to their 20-year resistance.^[25]

Notes