Rhamu Incident


The Rhamu Incident, on the 29 June 1977, was a brief armed conflict between Kenya and Somalia, in which the latter invaded the Northern Frontier District on the eve of the Ogaden War. A force of 1500 Somali soldiers attacked a border post, and killed 30 Kenyan police officers and soldiers. The Somali army did not stay as the objective of their mission was to invade Ethiopia from a different side through Kenya. Rhamu, situated on the Ethiopian-Kenyan border, lay on the road to the Sidamo region, and was considered a strategic point of entrance. The Somali government denied the invasion, and claimed to have no knowledge of the incident.