History of Somalia History of Somalia Somalia (; ), officially the Federal Republic of Somalia (, ) and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Somalia was an important centre for commerce with the rest of the ancient world, and according to most scholars, it is among the most probable locations of the fabled ancient Land of Punt. During the Middle Ages, several powerful Somali empires dominated the regional trade, including the Ajuran Sultanate, the Adal Sultanate, the Warsangali Sultanate, the Sultanate of the Geledi and the Majeerteen Sultanate. In the late 19th century,
2010 timeline of the War in Somalia al-Shabaab mounted an offensive on Mogadishu, beginning on 23 August with an attack on army barracks in several urban districts. The next day, al-Shabaab launched an attack on the Muna Hotel, a hotel in Mogadishu popular with prominent government officials. As of 24 August, at least 30 people were killed in the attack, including 11 Somali MPs. In their attempts to curb Al-Shabaab's advance across the region, forces loyal to the TFG attacked the militant-controlled town of Bulo Hawo, lying on the Somalia-Ethiopian border. The government troops were backed by the Sufi alliance Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama, and together successfully