# Daud Abdulle Hirsi (Daa'uud Cabdulle Xirsi)

> Daud Abdulle Hirsi (1925–1965), the first commander of the Somali National Army: early life, police career, his role after independence, and how he is remembered.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/people/daud-abdulle-hirsi/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## In short

Daud Abdulle Hirsi was the first commander of the [Somali National Army](/en/institutions/somali-national-army/), founded on 12 April 1960. This page records his public role from the sources available; at present most facts come from one encyclopedia article and the journal it cites, and each line shows its source.

## Early life

Wikipedia records that he was born in 1925 in Mareeg, in what is now Ceel Dheer district, studied at the local Qur'an school and worked in the colonial office in Buloburde. It says that as a young man he served as a soldier in the Italian campaign in Ethiopia, without giving a date ([Wikipedia, Daud Abdulle Hirsi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daud_Abdulle_Hirsi)).

## Police officer

He joined the police of the territory and was promoted to lieutenant in 1954, on his return (Wikipedia). The colonial and trusteeship police of the time are described in [Somali Police Force](/en/institutions/somali-police-force/) and [The UN trusteeship, 1950–1960](/en/history/un-trusteeship-1950-1960/).

## Commander of the army

After independence on 1 July 1960 he became commander-in-chief of the Somali National Army, the first post of its kind, and was later promoted to general and chief of staff (Wikipedia, citing *Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali Studies*, vol. 6, 2006, p. 64). The army he led in its first years, and its later growth, are described in [Somali armed forces, 1960–1991](/en/history/somali-armed-forces-1960-1991/). The civilian governments of the period are described in [The civilian era, 1960–1969](/en/history/civilian-era-1960-1969/).

## Death and memory

He died in Moscow in 1965; one section of the Wikipedia article says this was during military training. Wikipedia quotes President [Aden Abdulle Osman](/en/people/aden-abdulle-osman/) as saying: "The Somali Military, today lost its father." Several schools and a main street in Mogadishu, and the annual General Daud football cup, carry his name (Wikipedia).

## Sources differ

- **His post after independence.** Wikipedia calls him commander-in-chief of the army and, in one passage, minister of defence in the first civilian government.
- **Dates of service.** Wikipedia gives his years of service only as "1945s–1965".

## Read the primary sources yourself

- *Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali Studies*, Macalester College: [journal archive](https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/bildhaan/).

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