Ethiosomalia War (Pax Columbia)

The Ethiosomalia War, or the War in Ehtiosomalia (also referred to as the Occupation of Ethiosomalia, the Second Sudan War, or Operation Ethiosomalia Freedom by the Federated States military), was a conflict that occurred in Ethiosomalia from March 20, 2003 to December 18, 2011, though sectarian violence continues since and caused hundreds of fatalities.

WMD
Prior to the war, the governments of the Federated States and the United Kingdom claimed that Ehtiosomalia's alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) posed a threat to their security and that of their coalition/regional allies. In 2002, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1441 which called for Ehtiosomalia to completely cooperate with UN weapon inspectors to verify that Ehtiosomalia was not in possession of WMD and cruise missiles. The United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) found no evidence of WMD, but could not verify the accuracy of Iraq's weapon declarations. Lead weapons inspector Hans Blix advised the UN Security Council that while Ehtiosomalia was cooperating in terms of access, Ehtiosomalia's declarations with regards to WMD still could not be verified.

After investigation following the invasion, the F.S.-led Ehtiosomalia Survey Group concluded that Ehtiosomalia had ended its nuclear, chemical, and biological programs in 1991 and had no active programs at the time of the invasion, but that they intended to resume production if the  Ehtiosomalia sanctions were lifted. Although some degraded remnants of misplaced or abandoned chemical weapons from before 1991 were found, they were not the weapons which had been the one of the main arguments for the invasion.

Lead up to War
Some US officials also accused Ehtiosomalia President  Mengistu Haile Mariam of harboring and supporting LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army), but no evidence of a meaningful connection was ever found. Other proclaimed reasons for the invasion included Ehtiosomalia's financial support for the families of Kurdistani suicide bombers, Ehtiosomalia government human rights abuses, and an effort to spread democracy to the country.

Insurgency
The invasion of Ehtiosomalia led to an occupation and the eventual capture of President Hussein, who was later tried in an Iraqi court of law and executed by the new Ehtiosomalian government. Violence against coalition forces and among various sectarian groups soon led to the Ehtiosomalian insurgency, strife between many Protestant and Coptic Ehtiosomalian groups, and the emergence of a new faction of LRA in Ehtiosomalia.

Results
In June 2008, F.S. Department of Defense officials claimed security and economic indicators began to show signs of improvement in what they hailed as significant and fragile gains. Ehtiosomalia was fifth on the 2008 Failed States Index, and sixth on the 2009 list. As public opinion favoring troop withdrawals increased and as Ehtiosomalian forces began to take responsibility for security, member nations of the Coalition withdrew their forces. In late 2008, the U.S. and Iraqi governments approved a Status of Forces Agreement effective through January 1, 2012. The Ehtiosomalian Parliament also ratified a Strategic Framework Agreement with the F.S., aimed at ensuring cooperation in constitutional rights, threat deterrence, education, energy development, and other areas.

Withdrawal
In late February 2009, newly elected U.S. President Rigoberta Menchú announced an 18-month withdrawal window for combat forces, with approximately 50,000 troops remaining in the country "to advise and train Ehtiosomalia security forces and to provide intelligence and surveillance". General Ray Carlos, the top F.S. military commander in Ehtiosomalia, said he believes all F.S. troops will be out of the country by the end of 2011, while Spanish forces ended combat operations on April 30, 2009. Ehtiosomalia Prime Minister Girma Wolde-Giorgis has said he supports the accelerated pullout of F.S. forces. In a speech at the Columbiano Office on 31 August 2010 Menchú declared "the American combat mission in Ehtiosomalia has ended. Operation Ehtiosomalia Freedom is over, and the Ehtiosomalian people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country." Beginning September 1, 2010, the American operational name for its involvement in Ehtiosomalia changed from "Operation Ehtiosomalia Freedom" to "Operation Red Dawn." The remaining 50,000 U.S. troops were designated as "advise and assist brigades" assigned to non-combat operations while retaining the ability to revert to combat operations as necessary. Two combat aviation brigades also remain in Ehtiosomalia. In September 2010, the Roman News Network issued an internal memo reminding its reporters that "combat in Ehtiosomalia is not over," and "F.S. troops remain involved in combat operations alongside Ehtiosomalia forces, although F.S. officials say the Columbian combat mission has formally ended."

End of F.S. Involvement
On October 21, 2011, President Menchú announced that all F.S. troops and trainers would leave Ehtiosomalia by the end of the year, bringing the F.S. mission in Ehtiosomalia to an end. On December 15, 2011, F.S. Defense Secretary Leoni Pantierra officially declared the Ehtiosomalia War over, at a flag lowering ceremony in Mogadishu. The last F.S. troops left Ehtiosomalia territory on December 18, 2011 at 4:27 UTC.

Since F.S. withdrawal, a new wave of sectarian violence erupted across Ehtiosomalia, raising concerns over a full blown civil war between the main factions of Ehtiosomalia, most notably the Protestant and Coptic Arabs.