| Mohamed Farrah Aidid محمد فرح عيديد Maxamed Faarax Caydiid |
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|---|---|
| 5th President of Somalia | |
| In office June 15, 1995 – August 1, 1996 |
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| Preceded by | Ali Mahdi Muhammad |
| Succeeded by | Hussein Mohamed Farrah Aidid |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 15, 1934 Mudug Region, Somalia |
| Died | August 2, 1996 (aged 61) Mogadishu, Somalia |
| Nationality | Somali |
| Political party | United Somali Congress/Somali National Alliance (USC/SNA) |
General Mohamed Ali Farrah Aidid (Somali: Maxamed Faarax Caydiid, Arabic: محمد فرح عيديد) (December 15, 1934 – August 2, 1996) was a controversial Somali military leader, often described as a warlord.[1] A former general and diplomat, he was the chairman of the United Somali Congress (USC) and later led the Somali National Alliance (SNA). Along with other armed opposition groups, they drove out President Mohamed Siad Barre's regime from Somalia's capital Mogadishu during the Somali Civil War that broke out in the early 1990s.
In 1992, Aidid challenged the presence of United Nations and United States troops in the nation. He was one of the main targets of Operation Restore Hope, the UN and US joint humanitarian operation that sought to break the military siege. After eventually forcing UN forces to abandon the country in 1995, Aidid declared himself President of Somalia for a short period.
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Aidid was born in the Habr Gidir clan of the Mudug region of Somalia. He was educated in Rome and Moscow and served in the Italian colonial police force in the 1950s. Later he rose in the military of Mohamed Siad Barre to the rank of general and served in the 1977–78 Ogaden War with Ethiopia.[1] Aidid also served in Barre's cabinet and as Somali ambassador to India before finally being appointed intelligence chief.[2]
Barre suspected Aidid of planning a coup d'état and had him imprisoned for six years as means of pre-emption. In 1991, Aidid's clan did indeed manage to overthrow Barre, and the former, as leader of the United Somali Congress, emerged as a major force in the ensuing civil war.
As the civil war grew, with the breakdown of centralized government and no single successor to Barre's regime emerging, the term "warlord" came into use in Somalia. The tribalism of clan-based rebel organizations, and a complex web of regional and local domination elevated warlords to be de facto rulers of the country. Aidid was considered chief amongst them.[3] However, he was defeated by a rival, which led to the opportunity for UN peace keepers to be brought in.[1]
General Aidid hindered international U.N. peacekeeping forces in 1992 culminating with an attack on Pakistani peace keeping forces which resulted in 24 dead. As a result, the US put a $25,000 bounty on his head and attempted to arrest and try him for war crimes. On October 3, 1993, by the order of President Bill Clinton, a force of United States Army Rangers and Delta Force operators set out to capture several officials of Aidid's militia in an area of the Somali capital city of Mogadishu, controlled by him. Although technically successful, with the capture of several "tier-one personalities", the operation did not completely go as planned. Between 500 and 1,500 Somalis, as well as 18 American soldiers and 1 Malaysian soldier, died as a result in the First Battle of Mogadishu. Also, as a result of a downed Blackhawk air assault helicopter, Warrant Officer-Pilot Michael J. Durant from 160th SOAR was held captive for 11 days. He recalls in his book, In the Company of Heroes, that he believed that he may have seen General Aidid behind the cameraman as he was being filmed briefly by film reporters during his captivity.
The United States withdrew its forces soon afterwards and the United Nations left Somalia in 1995.
Aidid then declared himself President of Somalia in June 1995,[4] but his government was not internationally recognized. Indeed, within Somalia and even within Mogadishu, his control was fiercely fought over, especially by Ali Mahdi Muhammad. In September 1995, militia forces loyal to Aidid attacked the city of Baidoa, killing 10 Somalis and capturing at least 20 foreign aid workers.[5][6]
On July 24, 1996 Aidid and his militia engaged in battle with the forces of warlords and former Aidid allies Ali Mahdi Muhammad and Osman Ali Atto. Wounded by gunfire during the fight, Aidid suffered a fatal heart attack on August 1, either during or after surgery to treat his wounds.[7]
Hussein Mohamed Farrah, son of General Aidid, immigrated to the United States when he was 17 years old. He stayed 16 years in the U.S. and became a naturalized citizen, and later a United States Marine who served in Somalia. Two days after his father's death, the Somali National Alliance selected him to become the new president of the Republic of Somalia.
He resigned his position in Cairo, Egypt following a peace process between the Salbalar administration and Soodare Group. Hussein Mohammed Farrah is seen by the West as making possible a chance for improvement of relationships between the West and Somalia. When asked about his Marine days, he replied: "Once a Marine, always a Marine."[8]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ali Mahdi Muhammad |
President of Somalia June 15, 1995 – August 1, 1996 |
Succeeded by Hussein Mohamed Farrah Aidid |
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