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Dilla Massacre
The Dilla Massacre, was a series of events that spanned from January 1991 to March 1991, perpetrated by members of the Somali National Movement (SNM) rebel group, against the Gadabuursi clan. The most violent episode was on February 4th 1991 in Dilla, Awdal. The killings were referred to and classified as ethnic cleansing, against the Gadabursi, by the United Nations.

Background
During the Siad Barre era of Somalia. The northern region of Somalia was neglected in order to funnel development to Mogadishu. Northern residents were encouraged to down south for higher education and jobs, as opposed to the government developing the Northern region as well. Siad Barre played on clan tension and division in order to solidify his rule in the North. He began fueling hostility between the Isaaq and Gadabuursi tribes in a series of land conflicts and redistribution, using the Divide and rule policy. Members of the Isaaq clan began to blame members of the Gadabursi clan for this, in a series of tension fueled by the regime.

By the 1980s, members of the Isaaq tribe established a rebel group called the Somali National Movement, whose main residence and benefactor was Ethiopia, In order to topple the Siad Barre regime. The group was supported and funded by the Ethiopian President of the time, Mengistu Haile Mariam, and received partial support by Muammar Gaddafi  Ethiopia supported the SNM raids against the Somali government, and would send troops to support the SNM in multiple cross border raids against Somalia. Most of these raids would be within Gadabursi territory (The border tribe of Ethiopia and Somalia), fueling further conflict between the two groups. Ethiopia supported their SNM allies, many of whom where high level Isaaq defectors from Somalia's Government. In April 1988, Siad Barre and Mengistu, signed a peace treaty, in which they both agreed to stop supporting rebel movements in the other's territory. Siad Barre stopped supporting the Western Somali Liberation Front and Mengistu ended his help to the SSDF and SNM. Mengistu told the SNM to stop its military activities from Ethiopian territory. Fearful of the consequences, the SNM's decided to consolidate its rebel soldiers in northern Somalia and launch surprise military attacks against northern Somalia cities (in May 1988), leading to an all out civil war between the regime and the Northern areas of Somalia. During the attack on the northern Somali cities, the SNM received further assistance from the Ethiopian military, with Mengistu blatantly neglectting the peace treaty.The Ethiopians supported the SNM, by providing artillery and anti tank weapons during their attacks. Mengistu continued to support the SNM and other Somali rebel groups, as late as November 1990.

Massacre
During the SNM assault on the Awdal region, in their cross border raids in the 1980s, the Awdal people were resisting the SNM's Ethiopian backed excursions into their territory. The raids were seen as an assault against the Somali Republic, but after the United Somali Congress's assault on Mogadishu, in January of 1991, the civilians of the Northern part of Somali, lost all communications and support from the federal government. Leaving them stranded against the rebel forces. In 1991 the Somali government collapsed, leaving northern citizens, not allied with rebel groups, in a defenseless position. At this point, the Gadabursi refused to fight for the tyranica siad barre government, but rather to protect their state against rebels. Between January and March 1991, the SNM enacted various killings against members of the Gadabursi tribe and anyone they deemed as supporters of Siad Barre. A wholesale killing of anyone deemed "Anti SNM" was established. At this point, the SNM's militia were out of control, Gadabursi people travelling in their cars on the national highway were burned and looted. Women and children and innocent civilians were killed for being Gadabursi. The SNM orchestrated the destruction of the town of Dilla, and the looting of Borama, the capital city of Awdal region. Thousands of Gadabursi lives were lost in the Awdal attack, the town of Dilla was destroyed and burned, and many Gadabursi fled to Ethiopia for safety against the SNM group.

Aftermath
The town of Dilla was thoroughly and systematically destroyed by the SNM, and lied in ruins after the assault. Dilla civilians rural and urban property, were entirely plundered and looted by the SNM, apparently to avenge the past fierce resistance put up by the Reer Nuur, a sub clan of the Gadabursi. The Reer Nuur traditionally served as the buffer between the Gadabursi and the Isaaq. The assault against the Reer Nuur and other Gadabursi, by the SNM, was described as a way of "settling old scores". The SNM, after the mass killings, was then occupying Borama and the surrounding areas by force. During and after the occupation, thousands of Gadabursi fled into Ethioipia into the Tog Wajaale refugee camp.