According to the 2007 census from the Central Statistical Authority, the Somalis were the third largest ethnic group in Ethiopia with roughly 4.6 million people[1] accounting for 8.2% of the country's population, after the Oromo (34.4%) and Amhara (27%).

[5] According to linguists, the first Afro-Asiatic-speaking populations arrived in the region during the ensuing Neolithic period from the family's proposed "Urheimat" (Original Homeland) in the Nile Valley,[6] or Near East.

[18][19][20] The Ethiopians, as a last resort managed to secure the assistance of the Portuguese Empire and maintained their domain's autonomy, defeating Imam Ahmad at the Battle of Wayna Daga.

[21] There is no evidence that Ethiopia controlled any Somali inhabited territory at any point in history prior the Menelik's Expansions to south and south-east in the late 19th century.

[24] In 1884, during the Scramble for Africa, a vast land of Somalia fell under three colonial domains: the British protectorate of Somaliland was established through a number of Anglo-Somali Treaties of Protection.

This was resolved in 1891 Anglo-Italian Treaty with British colonial powers on their sphere of influence in the East Africa (mainly Ethiopia, Somalia, and Eritrea).

[27] In accordance with Treaty of Wuchale (1889) signed between Ethiopia and Italy, Italy, acting as protector of Ethiopia, demarcated the boundary between Ethiopia and British Somaliland as follows: The boundary of the spheres of influence of Great Britain and of Italy in the regions of the Gulf of Aden shall be constituted by a line which, starting from Gildessa [Jeldesa] and running toward the eighth degree of north latitude, skirts the north-east frontier of the territories of the Girrhi, Bertiti, and Rer Ali Tribes, leaving to the right the villages of Gildessa, Darmi, Gig, and Milmil.

[28][29] Ignoring the Anglo-Italian Treaty that laid foundation of Gadabuursi clan land under British protectorate, Menelik attempted and penetrated Somali territory in 1896 by building some grass hits at Alola, a spring located in the southeast of Biyo Kabobe.

Menelik erected flag by claiming Gadabuursi and Issa clan's territories (in present-day Shinile, Jijiga to Awbare) belongs to the Ethiopian Empire.

[30][31] Menelik proposed boundary extension of his Empire to Western Somali territories of Ogaden and submitted to Italy on 24 June 1896, and one year later.

[41] Soon after the restoration of Haile Selassie rule, the Haud and Ogaden region immediately placed under British military administration until Anglo-Ethiopian Agreement of 1942 warranted its sovereignty status in 1944.

In March 1955, the National United Front (NUF) attempted to retake the Haud and the Reserved Area and to end the Somalia rule under British protectorate, culminating in series violent clashes and conflicts.

[45] Following Somalia's independence in 1960, its successive government launched campaign what they called "lost territories" and raised the issues to regional and international communities like the United Nations and Organization of Islamic countries.

The hostility between Ethiopia and Somalia relations grew faster, even garnered international interests involving Somali pastoralists and Ethiopian police forces in the region.

[51] Some of these were senior military leaders and political entrepreneurs to form the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).