Conflicts in the Horn of Africa

Conflicts in the Horn of Africa have been occurring since the 17th century BCE. The Horn of Africa includes the nations of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia

Ancient[]

Invasion of Ancient Egypt by the Kingdom of Kush and the Land of Punt (17th century BC).

Ifat's conquest of Shewa (c. 1285)
Abyssinian-Adal War (1529–1559), between the Ethiopian Empire and the Adal Sultanate
Ajuran – Portuguese wars (throughout the 16th and 17th century)
Gobroon–Bardera War (late 18th century)
(1874-1876)
First Italo-Ethiopian War (1895–1896), between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ethiopian Empire

Dervish revolt against the United Kingdom (1899–1920), the Kingdom of Italy, the Ethiopian Empire, and other Somalis
World War I
- East African Campaign (1914–1918), between the German Empire and the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Portuguese Empire, and the Kingdom of Belgium
1922 Burao Tax Revolt (1922) between Habr Yunis tribesmen and the United Kingdom
Second Italo-Ethiopian War (1935–1936) between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ethiopian Empire
World War II
- East African Campaign (1940–1941), between the Kingdom of Italy and the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Kingdom of Belgium, and the Ethiopian Empire
1945 Sheikh Bashir Rebellion (1945) between Habr Je'lo tribesmen and the United Kingdom

Eritrean War of Independence (1961–1991), between Eritrean liberation fronts (primarily the EPLF and early on also the ELF) and the Ethiopian Empire (1961–1974) and Marxist Derg-ruled Ethiopia (1974–1991)
Shifta War (1963–1967), separatist insurgency by ethnic Somalis in Kenya
Ethiopian Civil War (1974–1991), between the Derg (ruling government of Ethiopia) and various rebel groups, as well as amongst the rebel groups, including the Marxist Ethiopian EPRP, MEISON, and TPLF, the Eritrean EPLF, ELF, the monarchist EDU (in the first stage of the war), and the Somali WSLF; included Red Terror
Oromo conflict (from 1973)
Ogaden War (1977–1978), between Ethiopia and Somalia
Somaliland War of Independence (1981-1991), between the Somali National Movement and Somalia
Ethiopian-Somali Border War (1982)

Somali Civil War (1978–present)
Djiboutian Civil War (October 1991 – December 1994)
Hanish Islands conflict, (1995), between Yemen and Eritrea over the island of Greater Hanish in the Red Sea
Second Afar insurgency (1995–2018)
Insurgency in Ogaden (1995–2018)
- Ogaden conflict (2007), between Ethiopia and the ONLF
Eritrean–Ethiopian War (6 May 1998 – 25 May 2000)
Puntland-Somaliland dispute (1998-ongoing)
Djiboutian–Eritrean border conflict (10–13 June 2008)
Gedeo–Oromo clashes (from December 2016)
Oromo–Somali clashes (from December 2016)
Metekel conflict (from June 2019)
Afar–Somali clashes (from October 2020)
Tigray War (from November 2020)