[1979] written by Richard Greenfield in Horn of Africa: An Independent Journal Volume 2 Issue 4
The roots of the refugee problem of the late 20th century in the Horn of Africa are deep. The author traces the history of the Horn from medieval times onward, focusing successively on the Abyssinian Empire-State and its expansion to the south-east; the role of Imam Ahmed Gurey; the colonization of the Somalis and the partition of Somali lands in the late nineteenth century; the jihad against partition led by the charismatic guerrilla leader Sayyid Muhammad Abdullah Hassan; and the colonization of Oromia. The author demonstrates the need to re-examine the sources and hitherto accepted theories of Oromo expansion. The record might well suggest, in fact, that it is Abyssinian expansion that has been the main cause of disruption – of which refugees are one manifestation – in the Horn of Africa.
The Somali History Archive 