# Abdiqasim Salad Hassan (Cabdiqaasim Salaad Xasan)

> Abdiqasim Salad Hassan, born 1941: elected at Arta in August 2000, President of the Transitional National Government until 2004.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/people/abdiqasim-salad-hassan/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who is he?

Abdiqasim Salad Hassan was President of Somalia from 2000 to 2004, at the head of the [Transitional National Government](/en/history/transitional-governments-2000-2012/) (TNG) ([Wikipedia, Abdiqasim Salad Hassan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiqasim_Salad_Hassan)). The European Union welcomed his election by the National Transitional Assembly at Arta and hoped it would help restore the Somali state ([EU statement, UN document S/2000/916, September 2000](https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/423761/files/S_2000_916-EN.pdf)).

## Early life and study

He was born in 1941 in [Galdogob](/en/history/ethiopian-somali-border-war-1982/), in the [Mudug](/en/regions/mudug/) region. His family is Habar Gidir (Hawiye) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiqasim_Salad_Hassan)). He studied biology at Lomonosov Moscow State University and graduated in 1965 (same source).

## In government before 1991

He held several posts in the government of [Siad Barre](/en/people/siad-barre/). In the late 1980s he was second Deputy Prime Minister. From 1990 to 1991 he was the last Minister of the Interior ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiqasim_Salad_Hassan)). After the government fell in 1991 he moved to Cairo (same source).

## Elected at Arta, 2000

The Arta conference opened in Djibouti in May 2000 and produced a Transitional National Charter and a Transitional National Assembly ([Wikipedia, Transitional National Government](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transitional_National_Government_of_Somalia)). Women took part as their own group, the Sixth Clan, for the first time ([Right Livelihood, Asha Hagi Elmi](https://rightlivelihood.org/the-change-makers/find-a-laureate/asha-hagi-elmi/)). On 26 August 2000 it elected him President on the third ballot, with 145 votes to 92 for [Abdullahi Ahmed Addou](/en/people/abdullahi-ahmed-addow/) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiqasim_Salad_Hassan)). He was sworn in the next day and promised to bring the government home to Mogadishu ([The New Humanitarian, 28 August 2000](https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2000/08/28/new-president-pledges-return-home)). See [rebuilding, 2000 to 2006](/en/history/rebuilding-2000-2006/).

## The Transitional National Government

His government held parts of Mogadishu. Much of the south was held by other groups ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiqasim_Salad_Hassan)). In 2003 he left the talks in Kenya that aimed to form a new government, and he dismissed Prime Minister [Hassan Abshir Farah](/en/people/hassan-abshir-farah/) after a dispute (same source).

## Standing aside, 2004

In October 2004 the new [Transitional Federal Parliament](/en/history/transitional-federal-parliament-2004-2012/) elected [Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed](/en/people/abdullahi-yusuf-ahmed/) as President. Abdiqasim had been a candidate and withdrew peacefully ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiqasim_Salad_Hassan)). He later lived in Mogadishu (same source).

## In short

President of the Transitional National Government from 2000 to 2004, chosen at the Arta conference in Djibouti.

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