# Barkat Gourad Hamadou

> Barkat Gourad Hamadou (1930–2018): French senator 1965 to 1980 and Prime Minister of Djibouti 1978 to 2001.

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

Barkat Gourad Hamadou was Djibouti's Prime Minister for more than two decades, from 2 October 1978 to 7 March 2001 ([World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html)). He served under both of the country's presidents, [Hassan Gouled Aptidon](/en/people/hassan-gouled-aptidon/) and [Ismaïl Omar Guelleh](/en/people/ismail-omar-guelleh/). Before independence he spent fifteen years in the French Senate ([French Senate, Hamadou Barkat-Gourad](https://www.senat.fr/senateur/barkat_gourat_hamadou58515k.html)).

## Early life and colonial politics

He was born on 1 January 1930 at Tew'o, in the Dikhil region, and worked as a mechanic before going into politics ([French Senate](https://www.senat.fr/senateur/barkat_gourat_hamadou58515k.html)). In June 1957 he was elected to the Territorial Assembly for Dikhil and Ali Sabieh. He campaigned for the territory to stay with France in the referendum of September 1958, and kept his assembly seat in 1958, 1963 and 1967 (same source). As a member of the Afar Democratic Union he was minister of education, sport and youth from June 1960 to November 1963, and then minister of public health until September 1965, in the government led by Ali Aref Bourhan (same source).

## French senator, 1965 to 1980

On 26 September 1965 he won the territory's seat in the French Senate, defeating Abdallah Mohamed Kamil. He was re-elected on 22 September 1974 and sat with the Gaullist groups until 1980 ([French Senate](https://www.senat.fr/senateur/barkat_gourat_hamadou58515k.html)). In December 1966 he backed the bill for the 1967 referendum on the territory's future and said he hoped his compatriots would choose to remain in the French Republic (same source).

## Prime Minister, 1978 to 2001

After independence in June 1977 he became minister of health. President Gouled appointed him Prime Minister on 30 September 1978, and his first government was formed on 2 October 1978 ([Wikipedia, Barkat Gourad Hamadou](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barkat_Gourad_Hamadou)). He was reappointed after the elections of 1992 and 1997. Wikipedia records that he played an important part in the 1994 peace agreement with the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD), the Afar rebel group, and that FRUD members joined his government in June 1995 (same source). He stayed on when Guelleh succeeded Gouled in May 1999.

In March 2000 he was taken to hospital with heart trouble and was treated in Paris until October 2000. He resigned on 6 February 2001 because of his health, and [Dileita Mohamed Dileita](/en/people/dileita-mohamed-dileita/) replaced him on 7 March 2001 (Wikipedia; [World Statesmen](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html)).

## Later life

In December 2001 he became Djibouti's ambassador to the Holy See (Wikipedia). He died in Paris on 18 March 2018, aged 88 ([French Senate](https://www.senat.fr/senateur/barkat_gourat_hamadou58515k.html)).

## Offices held

- Member of the Territorial Assembly of [French Somaliland](/en/relations/france/), 1957 to about 1967
- Minister of education, then of public health, in the territorial government, 1960 to 1965
- French senator for French Somaliland and the Territory of the Afars and the Issas, 1965 to 1980
- Prime Minister of Djibouti, 2 October 1978 to 7 March 2001. See [Presidents and Prime Ministers of Djibouti](/en/institutions/leaders-of-djibouti/).

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