Leaders and statesmen
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed (Cabdullaahi Yuusuf Axmed)
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed (1934–2012) was an army officer who became the first President of Puntland (1998 to 2004) and then President of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (2004 to 2008). He co-founded the Somali Salvation Democratic Front after 1978, resigned the presidency in December 2008, and died in Abu Dhabi in 2012.
Abdullahi Yusuf AhmedAbdullahi Yusuf · Cabdullaahi Yuusuf
- Lived
- 1934 to 2012
- Known as one of
- Leaders and statesmen
- Era
- The Republic, 1960 to 1991; Rebuilding without a state, 1991 to 2012
- Sources
- 5 sources
Who was he?
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed was a Somali soldier and politician. He was the first President of Puntland, from 1998 to 2004, and President of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) from 2004 to 2008 (Wikipedia, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed).
Early life and army career
He was born on 15 December 1934 in Gaalkacyo, in the Mudug region (Wikipedia). His family is Majeerteen (Darood). He made his career in the Somali National Army and served in the 1964 border war and the 1977 war with Ethiopia (same source).
The 1978 coup attempt and the SSDF
After the Ogaden war, army officers tried to overthrow Siad Barre in April 1978. The attempt did not succeed. Seventeen alleged leaders were executed. Lieutenant Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf escaped to Ethiopia and founded the group that became the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF), the first armed front against the government (Library of Congress, Somalia: A Country Study, 1992). The Ethiopian government later held him in prison until 1991 (Wikipedia).
First President of Puntland
After 1991 he went home to the north-east. In 1998 he helped set up Puntland State and became its first President (Wikipedia). His time in office saw a hard dispute with Jama Ali Jama over the leadership in 2001 and 2002, which he won (same source). See Puntland.
President of the Transitional Federal Government
In October 2004 the new Transitional Federal Parliament, meeting in Kenya, elected him President. He won 189 votes to 79 for Abdullahi Ahmed Addou in the third round (Wikipedia, Abdiqasim Salad Hassan). At the end of 2006 his government asked Ethiopian troops to help it against the Islamic Courts Union, which was strongly opposed by many Somalis (Wikipedia). See rebuilding, 2000 to 2006 and 2007 to 2012.
He resigned on 24 December 2008, as parliament moved to remove him (Wikipedia). He then lived in Yemen.
His death
He died on 23 March 2012 in Abu Dhabi, where he was being treated, from complications of pneumonia (The World, 24 March 2012). His body was flown to Mogadishu, where the UN recorded the ceremony at the airport on 25 March 2012 (UN Photo).
How he is remembered
Views of him differ. Some credit him with founding Puntland and leading a national government in hard years. Others remember the armed struggles of his career and the Ethiopian deployment of 2006.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed · en.wikipedia.org
- Library of Congress, Somalia: A Country Study, 1992 · countrystudies.us
- Wikipedia, Abdiqasim Salad Hassan · en.wikipedia.org
- The World, 24 March 2012 · theworld.org
- UN Photo · dam.media.un.org
Abdullahi Yusuf AhmedAbdullahi Yusuf · Cabdullaahi Yuusuf
- Lived
- 1934 to 2012
- Known as one of
- Leaders and statesmen
- Era
- The Republic, 1960 to 1991; Rebuilding without a state, 1991 to 2012
- Sources
- 5 sources
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Where this matters
- Muqdisho (Mogadishu) and BanaadirMogadishu (Muqdisho) is Somalia's capital and makes up the Banadir region, with about 2.97 million people in 20 districts.
- Boosaaso (Bosaso) and BariBari is Puntland's north-east region, with the port city of Bosaso (Boosaaso) as its capital and about 1.28 million people.
- Garoowe (Garowe) and NugaalNugaal is the region around Garoowe (Garowe), Puntland's capital, with about 656,910 people in three districts.
Same era
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- Prime Ministers of Somalia, 1956 to 2026Every Prime Minister and acting Prime Minister of Somalia from 1956 to 2026, with dates of office and links to each person's page.
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