This research delves into the colonial conflicts in one of the most confrontational regions of the continent: The Horn of Africa. The geostrategic importance of this area meant that during the first decades of colonisation, several European countries set their sights on these territories, which are currently occupied by Eritrea, Somalia, Djibouti, and Ethiopia. However, the arrival of Europeans in the Horn of Africa was opposed by the local population living in these territories. This resistance to the European invasion is one of the main studies in this analysis, along with the mark it left on the Ethiopian Empire to initiate its expansionism. The object of study is interdisciplinary in nature, but history is undoubtedly the basis of all our argumentation. However, history must be connected to other fields of study, mainly international relations and African studies. The resources that have been used to carry out this research are a list of a wide bibliography on the subject, together with official documents, newspaper, and resources from geographical societies.
TopIntroduction
Before the beginning of the great period of colonisation in Africa from the 1880s onwards, some European countries such as Portugal, the British Empire, France and Spain had certain enclaves scattered across the continent, mainly port and coastal positions to control trade. The important changes that took place throughout the 19th century led to the expansion of ambitions to control more territories on the African continent given its great wealth in raw materials and cheap labour, together with the development of capitalism, the expansion of the industrial revolution, the explorations of Europeans in Africa since the beginning of the century... In addition to all this, the creation of the last nation states gave rise to a new constellation of power characterised by strong international rivalry and continuous political manoeuvring (Weeseling, 1999, p. 452), thus creating a new situation in Europe from the 1870s onwards. Moreover, in the particular case of this chapter's study, the Horn of Africa, since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, which facilitated maritime trade between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea to reach the Indian Ocean, has maintained a strategic importance for Europe (Nyaoro, 2019, p.23), both geopolitically and militarily, driving the colonisation of these territories in order to maintain control of the waters and goods that passed through the Suez Canal. This territory is located in the East African region, bordered by the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, and bounded by the present-day countries of Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and Eritrea.
The explorers began to sign treaties and protectorate or sovereignty agreements with the African chiefs they encountered on their voyages (García Moral, 2016, p.160) promoted by various geographical societies1, although what this really meant was the subjugation of these populations to the incoming foreign population. A rapid race for control of these places began in several European countries, provoking certain disputes between them. In order to reach an agreement on the division, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck summoned several powers to the Berlin Conference, which took place between 15 November 1884 and 26 February 1885, but no African representatives were present, and the fate of Africa was decided unilaterally, so that the African continent was invaded by seven European states: France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, Portugal and Spain. The European powers each undertook not to proceed with savage acquisitions without notifying the others, in order to allow them to make claims; moreover, the African peoples or kings were not even consulted or informed of all these discussions (Ferro, 2000, p.107). In April 1900 only Liberia2 and Ethiopia3 remained independent states south of the Sahara.