▁third , ▁that ▁such ▁treat ies ▁viol ated ▁the ▁self - det erm ination ▁principle . ▁This ▁prompt ed ▁an ▁un success ful ▁bid ▁by ▁Britain ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁to ▁buy ▁back ▁the ▁Som ali ▁lands ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁turned ▁over . ▁ ▁Host ilities ▁grew ▁stead ily , ▁eventually ▁involving ▁small - scale ▁actions ▁between ▁the ▁Som ali ▁National ▁Army ▁and ▁Imperial ▁Eth iop ian ▁Ar med ▁Forces ▁along ▁the ▁border . ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁armed ▁conflict ▁er upt ed ▁on ▁the ▁Som ali - E th iop ian ▁front ier , ▁and ▁Eth iop ian ▁aircraft ▁ra ided ▁targets ▁in ▁Som alia . ▁The ▁confront ation ▁ended ▁in ▁April ▁through ▁the ▁med iation ▁of ▁Sud an , ▁acting ▁under ▁the ▁aus p ices ▁of ▁the ▁Organ ization ▁of ▁African ▁Unity ▁( O AU ). ▁Under ▁the ▁terms ▁of ▁the ▁ce ase - fire , ▁a ▁joint ▁commission ▁was ▁formed ▁to ▁examine ▁the ▁causes ▁of ▁front ier ▁inc idents , ▁and ▁a ▁dem il itar ized ▁zone ▁ten ▁to ▁fifteen ▁kilom eters ▁wide ▁was ▁established ▁on ▁either ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁border . ▁At ▁least ▁tempor arily , ▁further ▁military ▁confront ations ▁were ▁prevent ed . ▁ ▁A ▁refer endum ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁neighbor ing ▁Dj ib out i ▁( then ▁known ▁as ▁French ▁Som al il and ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁on ▁the ▁e ve ▁of ▁Som alia ' s ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁to ▁decide