# Somali troops under Italian rule: the Royal Corps of Somali Colonial Troops, 1908 to 1941

> The Royal Corps of Somali Colonial Troops under Italian rule from 1908 to 1941: its founding, the zaptié and dubat, the Walwal clash of 1934, the war with Ethiopia and the end of Italian rule.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/institutions/somali-colonial-troops-italian/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## In short

Under Italian rule in southern Somalia, Somalis served in a colonial army and police. This page records what the sources say about that force. Its counterpart in the British north was the [Somaliland Camel Corps](/en/institutions/somaliland-camel-corps/). After 1941 the British built new forces, which led to the [Somali Police Force](/en/institutions/somali-police-force/) and the army of 1960 (see [Somali armed forces, 1960 to 1991](/en/history/somali-armed-forces-1960-1991/)).

## Founding, 1908

The force was set up on 5 April 1908, after Italy took over the Benadir coast from the Sultan of Zanzibar. It was first named the Guard Corps of Benadir (*Corpo della Guardia di Benadir*) and later the Royal Corps of Somali Colonial Troops. Its first organisation had a command, a section of zaptié (colonial police, likened to Somali carabinieri), five local companies and a company of gunners. In July 1908 Italian forces under Major Antonino Di Giorgio took [Merca](/en/regions/lower-shabelle/) and then fought the army of the [Geledi sultanate](/en/history/geledi-sultanate/) ([Wikipedia, Royal Corps of Somali Colonial Troops](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Corps_of_Somali_Colonial_Troops), citing I. M. Lewis, *A Modern History of Somalia*, 1988, and Olsen and Shadle, 1991).

**The dubat.** In 1925 Italy formed the dubat, irregular Somali units under Major Camillo Bechis, operating mainly in the Ogaden and sometimes on camels (Wikipedia).

## Walwal, December 1934

The border between Italian [Somalia and Ethiopia](/en/relations/ethiopia/) was not clearly defined ([Wikipedia, Ual-Ual incident](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ual-Ual_Incident)). On 23 November 1934 the Anglo-Ethiopian boundary commission reached the wells at Walwal and Wardair; the Italian officer in command there "declined to permit the joint commission to enter", and the commission withdrew to a camp about 30 km away. On 5 December there was "a serious encounter" between Italian colonial troops and Ethiopian forces near the wells. Ethiopia offered to go to arbitration and took the matter to the League of Nations, the British foreign secretary, Sir John Simon, told the House of Commons ([Hansard, House of Commons, 17 December 1934](https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1934/dec/17/abyssinia-and-italy)). The Walwal garrison was made up of dubat (Wikipedia). See [The Ogaden war](/en/history/ogaden-war-1977/) for the later history of the region.

## The wars of 1935–1941

Italy invaded Ethiopia in October 1935 (see [Ethiopia and Somalia at war](/en/history/ethiopia-somalia-wars-timeline/)). The Somali corps fought on the southern front, including against the Ethiopian defences in the Ogaden in April 1936, under General Luigi Frusci, and was awarded Italy's gold medal for military valour for the campaign. In 1940 it was brought into the Italian army as the 101st and 102nd Somali divisions (Wikipedia). Italy invaded [British Somaliland](/en/history/british-somaliland-1884-1960/) in 1940; the British counter-attacked in March 1941, retook the north and placed southern Somalia and the Ogaden under military administration ([Library of Congress, *Somalia: A Country Study*, "Somalia During World War II"](https://countrystudies.us/somalia/12.htm)).

## Sources differ

- **Casualties at Walwal.** Not given by the British government in 1934; Wikipedia's account of the crisis gives about 150 Ethiopian and 50 Italian-side dead ([Wikipedia, Abyssinia Crisis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abyssinia_Crisis)); other accounts give different figures.
- **Siad Barre.** Wikipedia's page on the corps calls [Siad Barre](/en/people/siad-barre/) a former zaptié; his own page records that he joined the police under the [British Military Administration](/en/history/british-military-administration-1941-1950/), after 1941.

## Read the primary sources yourself

- Hansard, "Abyssinia and Italy", House of Commons, 17 December 1934: [record](https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1934/dec/17/abyssinia-and-italy).
- Library of Congress, *Somalia: A Country Study*, "Somalia During World War II": [page](https://countrystudies.us/somalia/12.htm).

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