A Little Bit Addis, A Little Bit Ababa: UNSC, Ogaden War, 1977
Ku soo dhowaada. Welcome to the Horn of Africa!
It is 1977, and the map of Africa as we know it is cracking apart. Across the arid plains of the Ogaden, frightened civilians are fleeing burning villages, arms laden with whatever they can carry. Soviet tanks rumble through the dust, and, across the sea, the American news media declares that Ethiopia is on the brink of collapse. Just three years ago, Emperor Haile Selassie still ruled as The Lion of Judah, an ancient title given to the monarch of one of Africa’s oldest empires. Now he is dead. And in his place is the Derg: a paranoid marxist militia junta gripped by purges, famine, and revolution. To make matters worse, neighboring Somalia has launched an invasion into the Ogaden region, seeking to unite the Somali people under one flag and finally realize the dream of a “Greater Somalia.” This chaos is the Cold War distilled into its purest form. Moscow suddenly finds itself backing two socialist allies locked in open conflict. Washington sees opportunity. Cuba eyes revolution abroad, while refugees flood across borders, mercenaries arrive by the hundreds, and entire villages disappear overnight.
Our committee will begin in the summer of 1977 as a crisis-driven United Nations Security Council at the outbreak of the war. Delegates will represent both the permanent and rotating members of the UNSC as they attempt to navigate one of the most chaotic diplomatic reversals of the Cold War. Delegates will grapple with battlefield collapses, insurgencies, military coups, refugee crises, arms negotiations, foreign intervention, and regional mediation efforts as the conflict spirals further beyond anyone’s control. How will the international community pursue peacekeeping missions, sanctions, humanitarian corridors, ceasefires, or sweeping regional settlements? Can the UNSC salvage its legitimacy after actively escalating the conflict? And perhaps most importantly: in a world where ideology shifts overnight and allies become enemies by morning, can any nation truly trust the promises of a superpower?
In both crisis sessions and the GA, we welcome you to decide the fate of the Horn of Africa at the height of the Cold War. Here, anything can happen, for borders are fragile, alliances are temporary, and history is written at the barrel of a gun.
This will be an advanced double-delegate committee.
ALEX vidra
chair
Alex Vidra is a third-year student studying Political Science and English. He is a native New Yorker and a die-hard Knicks fan. Last year, Alex chaired ChoMUN XXIX’s infamous ECOFIN Double-Del GA. Outside of ChoMUN, Alex is also Vice-President of the UChicago Model UN Team, and is chairing SPECPOL for MUNUC 39.
Apart from MUN, Alex loves reading fantasy series in the library, religiously watching octo-box football on Sundays (he writes game-analyses for PFF), and running soccer at the park. He’s also a huge foodie, so hit him up if you need food recommendations for Chicago or NYC. Alex is so excited to chair the UNSC this year. If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to him at alexandervidra@uchicago.edu.
noah springhorn
crisis director
Noah Springhorn is a third-year student studying Public Policy and Economics. Hailing from Boston, he is a staunch defender of Dunkin' and the erasure of the lettah “r”. He has been doing Model UN for 6 years now, and beyond ChoMUN, he is Vice-President of the UChicago MUN team and runs a committee for MUNUC. Last year, he served as CD for FamLee Dinner: Samsung Inheritance Crisis, 2014 for ChoMUN XXIX.
Outside of Model UN, he plays an instrument called the carillon (think of bells, but like, wayyyy bigger) and runs a political comedy newspaper called The Donk! He’s super excited to be a Crisis Director for the UNSC at ChoMUN XXX! You can reach out to him at nspringhorn@uchicago.edu.
audrey he
crisis director
Audrey is a third year in the college studying Business Economics and English Literature. She’s been doing MUN since she was 13 years old, and it has truly been a life-changing experience, where she’s found confidence, community, and a venue for her passion for politics and debate.
Outside ofMUN, Audrey is involved in The Blue Chips investment club at UChicago, and also enjoys writing, yoga, and yapping about books.
You can reach Audrey at amh13@uchicago.edu for any questions you may have!
Secretariat oversight:
ahmed bransi, under-secretary-general