Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed | |
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عبدالله يوسف أحمد | |
President of the Puntland | |
In office 1 August 1998 – 13 October 2004 | |
Vice President | Mohamed Abdi Hashi |
Preceded by | position established |
Succeeded by | Mohamed Abdi Hashi |
Personal details | |
Born | Silver Medal Hero | 15 December 1934
Signature | |
Nickname | Yeey (wolf) |
Military service | |
Rank | Lieutenant colonel[1] |
Battles/wars | Border War of 1964 Ogaden War Border War of 1982 |
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President of Somalia,President of Puntland 1998-2004(Puntland),2004-2008(Somalia)
Government(Puntland) Government(Somalia) others |
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Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed (
Personal life
Abdullahi Yusuf was born on 15 December 1934 in
For his post-secondary education, Ahmed studied law at the
Ahmed was married to Hawa Abdi Samatar.[7] The couple had two sons and two daughters in addition to six grandchildren, one known as Yusuf Demir Abdullahi, a popular twitch streamer.[8]
Early career
Somali Army
Ahmed joined the
Between 1965 and 1968, he served as Somalia's
In 1975, Ahmed was released from prison and appointed by Barre as the director of a governmental agency. He later commanded the Somali National Army's (SNA) southern front in the
Somali Salvation Democratic Front
In 1978, together with a group of officials mainly from his own Majeerteen (Darod) clan, Ahmed participated in an abortive attempt to overthrow Barre's dictatorial administration.[5][13] The military coup d'état was originally planned for 12 April. However, it was instead hastily carried out a few days earlier, on 9 April, due to fears of potential leaks. Ahmed was at the time in the southern Gedo region and was unaware of the changes to the coup plan. He later learned of the failed putsch via a secured communication network, which contained a coded two sentence message from Col. Abdullahi Ahmed Irro reading "Wife Aborted", dated 11:00 am, 9 April 1978.[14] Most of the people who had helped plot the coup were summarily executed, but Ahmed and several other colonels managed to escape abroad.[5]
Later that year, in adjacent Ethiopia, Ahmed and Hassan Ali Mire formed a rebel movement called the Somali Salvation Front, with Ahmed serving as chairman.[13][15] The organization was subsequently renamed the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF) in 1979. It was the first of several opposition groups dedicated to ousting Barre's regime by force.[13]
After opposing the Ethiopian government's claims of sovereignty over several Somali-inhabited areas that the SSDF had managed to seize control of from Barre's forces, Ahmed was detained by the local Ethiopian authorities in 1985.[3] Mire was elected as the SSDF's new chairman the following year.[15] Ahmed would remain imprisoned until his release in 1990, following the demise of Ethiopia's then-ruling Derg.[5][9][16]
Ahmed subsequently returned to Somalia. In 1992, he marshalled forces to successfully expel an Islamist extremist group linked to Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya that had taken over Bosaso, a prominent port city and the commercial capital of the northeastern part of the country.[17] He later served as a co-chairman of the National Salvation Council of Somalia, established in 1997.[18]
President of Puntland
Over the next few years, Ahmed emerged as the pre-eminent leader of his native
Transitional Federal Government
Establishment and overview
On 10 October 2004, in a session held by the
As President, Ahmed pledged to promote reconciliation and to set about rebuilding the country. However, his government was beset by internal disagreements and contentions with other stakeholders in Somalia. For example, he was at loggerheads with some
The make up of a possible foreign peacekeeping force – in particular the inclusion of Ethiopian troops – was another bone of contention. Ethiopia was accused of backing rival Somali warlords in order to keep the country weak. The African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) mission therefore excluded countries neighboring Somalia from participating in peacekeeping activities.[citation needed]
Due to a lack of funding and human resources, an arms embargo that made it difficult to re-establish a national security force, and general indifference on the part of the international community, President Ahmed also found himself obliged to deploy thousands of troops from Puntland to Mogadishu to sustain the battle against insurgent elements in the southern part of the country. Financial support for this effort was provided by the autonomous region's government. This left little revenue for Puntland's own security forces and civil service employees, leaving the territory vulnerable to piracy and terrorist attacks.[22][23]
Insurgency
In May 2006, the Second Battle of Mogadishu started and CNN reported that there were interim government forces in action. However, Ahmed told the BBC that the alliance of warlords were not fighting on behalf of the government, and threatened to fire them.[24] Indeed, members of the government who were part of the warring Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism (ARPCT) were sacked. Others left the government in disaffection following the victories of the Islamic Courts Union.
After the start of the new phase of the War in Somalia on 21 December 2006, the TFG, with the help of Ethiopian forces, wrested control of the southern part of the country and the capital, Mogadishu, from the hands of the Islamic Courts Union. By 28 December, the Transitional Federal Government had captured Mogadishu as the ICU forces fled. On 8 January 2007, as the Battle of Ras Kamboni raged, TFG President Ahmed entered Mogadishu for the first time since being elected to office. It was announced that the government would relocate to Villa Somalia in the capital from its interim location in Baidoa. This marked the first time since in 1991 that a Somali government controlled most of the country.
Following this defeat, the Islamic Courts Union splintered into several different factions. Some of the more radical elements, including
Assassination attempt
On 17 September 2006, a suicide car bomber smashed his vehicle into Ahmed's convoy outside the National Parliament in Baidoa. The attack killed four of Ahmed's bodyguards as well as Ahmed's brother. Six attackers were also slain in the subsequent gun battle.[26]
Health problems
Ahmed underwent a liver transplant in the 1990s. In early December 2007, he was admitted to a hospital in Nairobi for treatment of what his spokesman described as bronchitis,[27] and on 4 January 2008, he collapsed in Baidoa and was taken to Ethiopia for treatment.[28] Two days later, Ahmed was rushed to London for tests.[29] He returned to Mogadishu on 16 February 2008; rebels promptly fired mortars at the presidential compound, reportedly wounding at least five people.[30]
Dismissal of government
In the second half of 2008, Ahmed had been at loggerheads with then Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein over a proposed new cabinet,[31] the latter of which Ahmed characterized as nothing more than a "clan deal".[10]
On 14 December 2008, Ahmed announced that he had dismissed Hussein and his government, citing corruption, inefficiency, treason and failure to bring peace to the war-torn country as reasons for the dismissal.
Hussein said that Ahmed did not have the power to fire him without parliamentary approval, while Ahmed asserted that he believed Parliament would endorse the dismissal.[33] Parliament supported Hussein in a vote on 15 December, but Ahmed nevertheless appointed Mohamoud Mohamed Guled as Prime Minister to replace Hussein on 16 December.[34]
On 21 December,
On 24 December, the newly appointed Prime Minister Guled announced his resignation, citing that he did not wish to be "seen as a stumbling block to the peace process which is going well now."[36][37]
Following Guled's resignation, Abdirashid Sed, who was close to President Ahmed, said that Ahmed would announce his resignation and retirement from politics at a special session of Parliament on 29 December. According to Sed, Ahmed made this decision "because he does not want to be seen as an obstacle to peace in Somalia".[38]
Resignation
On 29 December 2008, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed announced before a united parliament in Baidoa his resignation as President of Somalia. In his speech, which was broadcast on national radio, Ahmed expressed regret at failing to end the country's 17-year conflict.[39]
He also blamed the international community for its failure to support the government, and said that the speaker of parliament, Aden "Madobe" Mohamed, would succeed him in office per the Transitional Federal Government's Charter.[40]
While it was suggested that Ahmed's resignation added chaos to the country's political landscape as Ethiopia withdrew its troops, some diplomats opined that it might have improved the prospects of striking a deal with the more moderate Islamist insurgents.[39]
Post-retirement
After his retirement from politics, Ahmed was initially reported to have flown out of Baidoa back to his native Puntland in the northeast.
In 2011, Ahmed released his memoirs, titled Struggle and Conspiracy: A Memoir (Halgan iyo Hagardaamo: Taariikh Nololeed). He began a promotional European tour for the book late in the year and in early 2012.[43]
Death
On 23 March 2012, relatives and Radio Mogadishu announced that Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed had died at age 77 from complications due to pneumonia. He had been receiving treatment for several weeks at the Zayed Military Hospital in Abu Dhabi, but had fallen into a coma over the previous few days.[44][45]
Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, which Ahmed had co-founded, declared a three-day period of mourning for the late ruler and appointed a ministerial-level committee for the scheduled funeral proceedings.[8][46] Somali citizens also offered their condolences and prayers, particularly in the northeastern Puntland region, where Ahmed is regarded as a founding father.[46] Upon learning of Ahmed's death, Puntland Minister of State for Planning and International Cooperation, Abdulkadir Hashi, tweeted that "President Yusuf's death marks a huge loss for the Somali people and especially for Puntlanders. He was a great patriot & friend".[47]
Ahmed was flown to the
In commemoration of the late leader, the Galkayo Airport was officially renamed as the
See also
- Hussein Kulmiye Afrah
- Abdullah Mohamed Fadil
- Ismail Ali Abokor
- Abdirizak Mohamud Abubakar
- Ali Matan Hashi
- Abdullahi Ahmed Irro
- Muse Hassan Sheikh Sayid Abdulle
- Mohamed Osman Irro
Notes
- ^ "Xinhuanet". Archived from the original on 15 November 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2008.
- ^ "Index Ah-Al – Ahmed, Abdullahi Yusuf". Rulers. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f "New president offers hope for war-torn Somalia". Yobserver.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ISBN 1874209278.
- ^ a b c d e f New People Media Centre (Nairobi, Kenya), New people, Issues 94–105, (New People Media Centre: Comboni Missionaries, 2005).
- ^ Ahmed III, Abdul. "Brothers in Arms Part I" (PDF). WardheerNews. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore (6 November 2006). "MFA Press Statement: Working Visit of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed of Somalia, 7 to 9 November 2006". Press Africaine. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ a b dalnuurshe01 says. "SOMALIA: Former Somalia president dies 87 (Brief History)". Raxanreeb.com. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Janice Hamilton, Somalia in Pictures, (Twenty-First Century Books: 2007), p. 70.
- ^ a b c "Profile: Somali's newly resigned President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed". News.xinhuanet.com. 29 December 2008. Archived from the original on 1 January 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ Moshe Y. Sachs, Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, (Worldmark Press: 1988), p.290
- ^ Ahmed III, Abdul. "Brothers in Arms Part II" (PDF). WardheerNews. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
- ^ a b c Nina J. Fitzgerald, Somalia: issues, history, and bibliography, (Nova Publishers: 2002), p.25.
- ISBN 978-9185945351.
- ^ ISBN 9780841905580.
- ^ Georgetown University. Center for Strategic and International Studies. African Studies Program, CSIS Africa notes: a publication of the African Studies Program of the Georgetown University Center for Strategic and International Studies, issues 156–179, (The Program: 1994), p. 3.
- ^ Gérard Prunier. "Somalia: Civil War, intervention and withdrawal 1990–1995 (July 1995), p.6" (PDF). WRITENET Country Papers, UK. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 January 2006. Retrieved 1 January 2006.
- ^ "Index Ah-Al". Rulers. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ "Somali PM optimistic about rebuilding country". News.xinhuanet.com. 13 November 2004. Archived from the original on 21 November 2004. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ "Somalia MPs elect new president". Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ a b "Somalia – October 2004". Rulers. 1 March 2005. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ "Somalia: Guide to Puntland Election 2009". Garoweonline.com. 25 December 2008. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ "Opening Annual General Assembly Debate, Secretary-General Urges Member States to Press in Tackling Poverty, Terrorism, Human Rights Abuses, Conflicts". Unis.unvienna.org. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ "Warring Somali ministers warned". BBC. 13 June 2006. Archived from the original on 18 February 2007. Retrieved 3 February 2007.
- ^ United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (1 May 2009). "USCIRF Annual Report 2009 – The Commission's Watch List: Somalia". Unhcr.org. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
- ^ "Somali leader survives bomb blast". BBC. 18 September 2006. Retrieved 3 February 2007.
- ^ "Somalia's leader 'has bronchitis'", BBC News, 5 December 2007.
- ^ "Somali interim leader collapses", BBC News, 4 January 2008.
- ^ "Sick Somali president in London", BBC News, 7 January 2008.
- ^ "Mortar attack on Somali president's residence wounds five", Associated Press (International Herald Tribune), 17 February 2008.
- ^ "Somali president sacks prime minister". Uk.reuters.com. 14 December 2008. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ "Somalia's New Prime Minister Resigns". Rttnews.com. 24 December 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ a b "Somali president sacks PM, PM stands firm", AFP, 14 December 2008.
- ^ "Somali president names new prime minister", AFP, 16 December 2008.
- ^ "Somalia: PM Nur Adde Confidence Vote 'Never Happened' – 80 MPs". Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ "More turmoil in Somalia as new PM quits", AFP, 24 December 2008.
- ^ "Somali leader quit threat denied". BBC News. 25 December 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ "Key Somali official says president to quit Monday", Associated Press (International Herald Tribune), 28 December 2008.
- ^ a b c "Somalia's president quits office", BBC News, 29 December 2008.
- ^ "Somali President Yusuf resigns", Reuters (FT.com), 29 December 2008.
- ^ "Yemen agrees to host former Somali leader", Sapa-DPA (IOL), 21 January 2009.
- ^ "Yemen grants asylum to ex-Somali president". Alarabiya.net. 21 January 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ "mudugonline.com" (PDF). mudugonline.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ "Former Somali President dies in Dubai". Africareview.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ "Somalia: Former President Abdullahi Yusuf to be buried in Puntland". Garoweonline.com. 24 March 2012. Archived from the original on 6 June 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ a b "Former Somali President and founder of Puntland, Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed dies in Dubai". Puntlandi.com. 23 March 2012. Archived from the original on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ Abdulkadir Hashi (ministerhashi) on Twitter
- ^ a b "Somalia: Col. Abdullahi Yusuf laid to rest". Garoweonline.com. 25 March 2012. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
External links
- Media related to Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed at Wikimedia Commons
- Declassified CIA report from 1970s describing Yusuf's activities in exile in Ethiopia
- "Wax ka ogow Cabdullaahi Yusuf Axmed, aabaha Puntland". BBC. 2 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.