15 December 1992
In 1992, Somalia was gripped by famine and drought. President Siad Barre had been overthrown in 1991. This caused tribal warfare that weak government security forces could not subdue. As a result, the country fell into a state of lawlessness.
The first United Nations observers began arriving in July 1992. The United States led the relief effort under its Operation Provide Relief. The first Australian troops arrived in Somalia in October. They contributed to the first deployment of UN security personnel.
In November, as the situation worsened, and aid ships were looted, the US sent a vanguard of 1,800 Marines to re-establish order in Mogadishu. On 3 December, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 794. This endorsed a US-led multinational peace enforcement operation in Somalia, to be called Restore Hope.
On 15 December, the Australian Government approved Operation Solace. They deployed Australian Defence Force assets to Somalia, within the wider US-led Unified Task Force (UNITAF). UNITAF’s goal was to ensure that humanitarian aid was safely delivered and to restore peace.
Australia’s primary contribution was of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR). They were supported by B Squadron 3rd/4th Cavalry regiment and other select components of the regular army.
HMAS Jervis Bay began loading stores on 17 December, sailing for Townsville 2 days later with the RAN Sea Training Group (STG) on board. In Townsville, the ship took on 800 tonnes of cargo. This included:
- armoured personnel carriers
- trucks and four-wheel drive vehicles
- ammunition
- provisions
- general cargo.
Jervis Bay then made for Mogadishu. Later in the month, HMAS Tobruk also stopped in Townsville to take on supplies. They loaded another 800 tonnes of cargo before departing for Mogadishu on 31 December.
After unloading their cargo in mid-January 1993, Jervis Bay returned to Australia. Tobruk remained in theatre for the duration of Operation Solace. Tobruk conducted continuous supply runs between Somalia and Kenya over the five months of its deployment.
In May, with the return of Jervis Bay, the two ships re-embarked 1RAR and the equipment they had taken over in January. Both ships arrived in Townsville in June, before sailing independently to Sydney.
The operation was an example of the flexibility and responsiveness of navies. Personnel worked round the clock to prepare the ships and to load them with cargo. Their conduct demonstrated yet again Australia’s ability to operate easily with others in service to the international rules based order.