Major General Odawa Yusuf Rage, Commander of the Somali National Army (SNA), hosted Captain (Navy) Mario De Rosa, the Defense Attaché of Italy, for an important meeting at his office.

The Italian Somali capital of Mogadishu fell on 26 February and by 5 March the enemy was routed. Cunningham's force now divided; he led one group further north while the other advanced north west ...