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Western Somali Liberation Front (Ethiopia)

Separatist movement

Last modified: 2022-10-22 by peter hans van den muijzenberg
Keywords: somalia | ethiopia | western somalia | ogaden | western somalia liberation front | somalia-abo liberation front | star (white) |
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Introduction

The Western Somali Liberation Front (WSLF) was a separatist rebel movement fighting in eastern Ethiopia to create an independent state.  It played a major role in the Ogaden War of 1977-1978 when it assisted the invading Somali Army.  Since the end if the Ethiopian civil war, the WSLF has been almost totally incorporated into the Western Somali Democratic Party.

The flag of the WSLF was initially divided vertically into green and red with a white star with five rays in the centre.  A photo in Le Figaro of 14 September 1977 the star shifted to the hoist (Basler Zeitung Nr. 213, 5-9-77). Rundschau Deutsche Schweiz TV of 11 August 1977 shows several flags of liberation movements and armies.  In the provinces Bale and Sidamo is another active movement calling itself ABO.  There is also mention of an "Afar Liberation Movement (ALF) which operates in the desert region of Danakil, northeast of Addis Ababa and in the province Awsa.  It connects the WSLF and the Eritrean rebels. Zigiotto Turin mentions a flag divided blue over red.  On the blue field near the hoist is a figure of a white lady and several stars (probably in white) in the fly.
Jaume Ollé 5 Sept 1999.


Western Somali Liberation Front flag (1999)

Image by Peter Krembs, 07 Apr 2002

"The World Encyclopedia of Flags" by Alfred Znamierowski [zna99] shows this flag as being the current flag of the Western Somali Liberation Front.  A rectangular flag divided vertically between United Nations blue and red with a white tilted five pointed star in the centre.
Peter Krembs, 07 Apr 2002


Western Somali Liberation Front flag (1982)

Image by Jaume Ollé, 15 Jan 1997

Western Somali Liberation Front flag (1979)

Image by Jaume Ollé, 15 Jan 1997

Western Somalia Liberation Front flag (1976)

Image by Jaume Ollé, 15 Jan 1997

Somalia-Abo Liberation Front flag

Image by Jaume Ollé, 15 Jan 1997