# Aden Abdulle Osman (Aadan Cabdulle Cismaan, Aden Adde)

> Aden Adde (1908–2007), first President of the Somali Republic: his life, the Somali Youth League, 1960 and the peaceful handover of 1967.

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Last checked: 2026-11-12
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## Who was he?

Aden Abdulle Osman, known to Somalis as Aden Adde, was the first President of the [Somali Republic](/en/states/somali-republic-1960-1969/). He held office from 1 July 1960 to 6 July 1967 ([Wikipedia, Aden Adde](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aden_Adde)). He is remembered most for one act. When he lost the presidential vote in 1967, he accepted the result and handed power to the winner.

## Early life

He was born in Beledweyne, in the [Hiiraan](/en/regions/hiiraan/) region, on 9 December 1908 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aden_Adde)). He lost his parents young. His father had fought in the campaigns against [Sayid Maxamed Cabdulle Xasan](/en/people/sayid-maxamed-cabdulle-xasan/) ([Castagno, *Historical Dictionary of Somalia*, 1975, "Aden Abdulla Osman"](https://archive.org/details/historical-dictionary-of-somalia-1)).

In 1922 he entered the first elementary school opened at Baidoa. For five years he studied and worked as a domestic servant in Baidoa and Mogadishu. From 1928 to 1933 he was a medical assistant at the De Martino Hospital in Mogadishu. He then worked for the government as a typist and interpreter ([Castagno 1975](https://archive.org/details/historical-dictionary-of-somalia-1)). He taught himself many subjects and spoke Somali, Arabic, Italian and English ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aden_Adde)).

## The Somali Youth League

He joined the [Somali Youth League](/en/history/somali-youth-league/) in 1944. By 1946 he was secretary of its Beledweyne branch ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aden_Adde)). He served as the League's president in 1954, 1955 and 1958 ([Castagno 1975](https://archive.org/details/historical-dictionary-of-somalia-1)).

In 1951 he joined the [Territorial Council](/en/history/un-trusteeship-1950-1960/) of the trust territory. He became its Vice President, the highest post a Somali could then hold ([Castagno 1975](https://archive.org/details/historical-dictionary-of-somalia-1)). From 1956 to 1960 he was President of the Legislative Assembly ([Castagno 1975](https://archive.org/details/historical-dictionary-of-somalia-1)).

## President, 1960 to 1967

On 1 July 1960 he proclaimed the independence of the Somali Republic and the union of the trust territory in the south with the former [British Somaliland](/en/history/british-somaliland-1884-1960/) in the north ([Castagno 1975](https://archive.org/details/historical-dictionary-of-somalia-1)). He was elected the Republic's first President. He appointed [Abdirashid Ali Shermarke](/en/people/abdirashid-ali-shermarke/) as Prime Minister ([Wikipedia, Abdirashid Shermarke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdirashid_Shermarke)).

His government's First Five Year Plan (1963 to 1967) focused on a few projects. These were the sugar factory at Jowhar, food processing, roads, and seaports at Kismaayo, Berbera and Mogadishu ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aden_Adde)). Somalia joined the Organisation of African Unity and the Non-Aligned Movement in these years.

## The handover of 1967

In the 1967 presidential vote in parliament, his former Prime Minister Abdirashid Ali Shermarke won. Aden Adde accepted the result. His term ended on 6 July 1967 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aden_Adde)). Sources describe it as one of the first peaceful handovers of power by an African head of state after losing a vote.

## Later life

After the army took power in October 1969, he was held at the presidential palace at [Afgooye](/en/regions/lower-shabelle/) until April 1973 ([Castagno 1975](https://archive.org/details/historical-dictionary-of-somalia-1)). He spent most of his later years on his farm at Jannaale, in [Lower Shabelle](/en/infrastructure/k50-airstrip/). He died in hospital in Nairobi on 8 June 2007, aged 98 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aden_Adde)). The government declared 21 days of mourning and a state funeral. It renamed Mogadishu's airport [Aden Adde International Airport](/en/infrastructure/aden-adde-international-airport/) in his honour (same source).

## In short

The first President of Somalia, from 1960 to 1967. He handed over office after losing the 1967 presidential vote in parliament.

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