Greater Somalia Greater Somalia Greater Somalia (, ) comprises the regions in or near the Horn of Africa in which ethnic Somalis live and have historically inhabited. The territory historically encompassed British Somaliland, Italian Somaliland, French Somaliland, the Ogaden in the Ethiopian Empire, and the Northern Frontier District in the Colony and Protectorate of Kenya - at the present day, it encompasses Somalia, Somaliland, eastern Djibouti, the Somali region and Dire Dawa in Ethiopia, and the Lamu, Garissa, Wajir and Mandera Counties (all except Lamu formed part of the former North Eastern Province, which was abolished in 2013) in Kenya. Since the
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