Timeline: Somalia

A chronology of key events:

600s - Arab tribes establish the sultanate of Adel on the Gulf of Aden coast.

800s - Somali people begin to migrate from Yemen.

1500s - Sultanate of Adel disintegrates into small states.

1875 - Egypt occupies towns on Somali coast and parts of the interior.

1860s - France acquires foothold on the Somali coast, later to become Djibouti.

1887 - Britain proclaims protectorate over Somaliland.

1888 - Anglo-French agreement defines boundary between Somali possessions of the two countries.

1889 - Italy sets up a protectorate in central Somalia, later consolidated with territory in the south ceded by the sultan of Zanzibar.

1925 - Territory east of the Jubba river detached from Kenya to become the westernmost part of the Italian protectorate.

1936 - Italian Somaliland combined with Somali-speaking parts of Ethiopia to form a province of Italian East Africa.

1940 - Italians occupy British Somaliland.

1941 - British occupy Italian Somalia.

Independence

1950 - Italian Somaliland becomes a UN trust territory under Italian control.

1956 - Italian Somaliland renamed Somalia and granted internal autonomy.

1960 - British and Italian parts of Somalia become independent, merge and form the United Republic of Somalia; Aden Abdullah Osman Daar elected president.

1963 - Border dispute with Kenya; diplomatic relations with Britain broken until 1968.

1964 - Border dispute with Ethiopia erupts into hostilities.

1967 - Abdi Rashid Ali Shermarke beats Aden Abdullah Osman Daar in elections for president.

Drought and war

1969 - Muhammad Siad Barre assumes power in coup after Shermarke is assassinated.

1970 - Barre declares Somalia a socialist state and nationalises most of the economy.

1974 - Somalia joins the Arab League.

1974-75 - Severe drought causes widespread starvation.

1977 - Somalia invades the Somali-inhabited Ogaden region of Ethiopia.

1978 - Somali forces pushed out of Ogaden with the help of Soviet advisers and Cuban troops.

1981 - Opposition to Barre's regime begins to emerge after he excludes members of the Mijertyn and Isaq clans from government positions, which are filled with people from his own Marehan clan.

1988 - Peace accord with Ethiopia.

Disintegration

1991 - Opposition clans oust Barre who is forced to flee the country.

1991 - Former British protectorate of Somaliland declares unilateral independence.

1992 - US Marines land near Mogadishu ahead of a UN peacekeeping force sent to restore order and safeguard relief supplies.

1995 - UN peacekeepers leave, having failed to achieve their mission.

1996 - Warlord Muhammad Aideed dies of his wounds and is succeeded by his son, Hussein.

1997 - Clan leaders meeting in Cairo agree to convene a conference of rival clan members to elect a new national government.

1998 - Puntland region in northern Somalia declares unlilateral independence

2000 August - Clan leaders and senior figures meeting in Djibouti elect Abdulkassim Salat Hassan president of Somalia.

2000 October - Hassan and his newly-appointed prime minister, Ali Khalif Gelayadh, arrive in Mogadishu to heroes' welcomes.

Restoring order

2000 October - Gelayadh announces his government, the first in the country since 1991.

2001 January - Somali rebels seize the southern town of Garbaharey, reportedly with Ethiopian help.

2001 February - French oil group TotalFinaElf signs agreement with transitional government to prospect for oil in south; one of main faction leaders, Mohamed Qanyareh Afrah, signs accord recognising interim government, reportedly in return for promise of ministerial posts.

2001 April - Somali warlords, backed by Ethiopia, announce their intention to form a national government within six months, in direct opposition to the country's transitional administration.

2001 May - Dozens killed in Mogadishu's worst fighting in months between transitional government forces and militia led by warlord Hussein Aideed.

2001 May - Referendum in breakaway Somaliland shows overwhelming support for independence.

2001 August - Forces of the opposition Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council seize Kismayo for General Mohammed Hirsi Morgan.

2001 August - UN appeals for food aid for half a million people in the drought-hit south.

After September 11

2001 September - UN, EU evacuate foreign aid workers in period of uncertainty in wake of attacks on US.

2001 November - US freezes funds of main remittance bank over suspected al-Qaeda links. UN humanitarian official says move is helping to push country towards economic collapse.

2002 April - Warlords in southwest unilaterally declare autonomy for six districts and form "Southwestern Regional Government".

2002 May - New president of breakaway Somaliland Dahir Riyale Kahin takes power after death of Mohamed Ibrahim Egal and pledges to preserve sovereignty.

2002 October - 21 warring factions and transitional government sign ceasefire under which hostilities will end for duration of peace talks.

2003 April - First presidential elections in breakaway Somaliland; incumbent Dahir Riyale Kahin wins by narrow margin.

2004 January - Breakthrough at peace talks in Kenya; warlords, politicians sign deal to set up new parliament.

2004 May/June - More than 100 killed in upsurge of fighting. Deadly clashes between ethnic militias in southern town of Bula Hawo.

2004 August - New transitional parliament inaugurated at ceremony in Kenya. In October the body elects Abdullahi Yusuf as president.