THE OGADEN, who traditionally live as herdsmen in the region named after them in eastern Ethiopia, bordering the Somali Republic, are part of the wider Darod family of Somali clans. They attracted world attention a decade ago during their abortive attempt to secure independence from Ethiopia in the 1977-78 war between Somalia and Ethiopia. In retrospect, it is easy to see that this represented the high point of Somali nationalist fervour in recent Somali history. It was also a testimony to the strenuous efforts of the present Somali head of state in seeking to transform Somali nationalism from its old segmentary style to a modern organic mode. Shortly after seizing power in 1969, the present Head of State, General Mohamad Siyad Barre, adopted 'Scientific Socialism' to unite the nation and eradicate its ancient clan divisions. 'Tribalism', which was associated with nepotism and corruption, was officially banned and ritually buried in 1971. Tribalistic behaviour became a serious criminal offence. The collective payment of blood money was correspondingly outlawed, and marriage officially emptied of its corporate lineage sigrlificance. The universal term of address 'cousin', implying clansman, was replaced by the term jaalle (comrade). Lineage genealogies and their use to identify people were banned; even the old circumlocation 'ex-clan' was forbidden. In their place, the Head of State was presented in the revolutionary rhetoric as the 'Father' of a nation whose 'Mother' was his Revolution. This stirring ideology, legitimated by reference to the holy trinity of Marx, Lenin and Siyad, was thrust upon the masses through intense radio propaganda and through the Orientation Centres which were set up throughout the state, which had itself been divided into new provinces cutting across traditional clan boundaries. Radiating out from the Presidency, the locally organized people's vigilantes (or 'Victory Pioneers', led by the 'Victorious Leader' Siyad) and the sinister National Security Service shared the task of ensuring that this elaborate propaganda rhetoric fell on receptive ears. The repeatedly proclaimed objective was to replace archaic, divisive lineage loyalty, by productive revolutionary allegiance to the nation. The National Security Courts also spared no effort in their zeal to enforce the new order of revolutionary nationalism. l