Leaders and statesmen
Hassan Gouled Aptidon (Xasan Guuleed Abtidoon)
Hassan Gouled Aptidon (1916–2006) was the first President of Djibouti, from independence on 27 June 1977 until 8 May 1999. Before independence he sat in the French Senate for French Somaliland from 1952 to 1958 and in the French National Assembly from 1959 to 1962. He made his party the only legal one in 1981, allowed multiparty politics again in 1992 during the civil war, and handed over to his nephew, Ismaïl Omar Guelleh.
Hassan Gouled AptidonXasan Guuleed Abtidoon · Hassan Gouled
- Lived
- 1916 to 2006
- Known as one of
- Leaders and statesmen
- Era
- Toward independence, 1920 to 1960; The Republic, 1960 to 1991; Rebuilding without a state, 1991 to 2012
- Sources
- 4 sources
Who was he?
Hassan Gouled Aptidon led Djibouti for its first 22 years as an independent state. He was President from 27 June 1977 to 8 May 1999 (World Statesmen, Djibouti). Before that he spent more than two decades in the politics of the French colony, including six years as a senator in Paris (French Senate, Hassan Gouled).
Early life
He was born on 15 October 1916 (French Senate). The French parliamentary records give his birthplace as Djibouti, while Wikipedia gives the village of Gerisa in the Lughaya district of what was then British Somaliland (French National Assembly, Hassan Gouled; Wikipedia, Hassan Gouled Aptidon). He went to the public school in Djibouti from 1929 to 1935, then worked as a pharmacy apprentice at the colonial hospital, a storekeeper and a bookkeeper (French National Assembly).
Colonial politics and Paris
In 1950 he travelled to France with Mahamoud Harbi, another Issa leader. On his return he was elected to the territory's Representative Council and became its vice-president in October 1950 (French National Assembly). On 25 May 1952 he won the territory's seat in the French Council of the Republic, the upper house, with 14 votes out of 23. He lost the seat in June 1958 to Ahmed Robleh Gourmaneh (same source; French Senate).
Harbi became his main rival. After the elections of November 1958 Gouled led the local Government Council from December 1958 to April 1959 (World Statesmen, Djibouti). He then sat in the French National Assembly from 19 April 1959 to 9 October 1962, taking the seat Harbi had held (French National Assembly). Wikipedia records that he was later minister of education from 1963 to 1967 and was elected to the Territorial Assembly in 1968 (Wikipedia).
Independence
In 1975 he became president of the African People's League for Independence (LPAI), with Ahmed Dini as its general secretary. He became head of the Government Council on 18 May 1977 and was elected President of the coming republic by the Chamber of Deputies on 28 May (Wikipedia). Djibouti became independent on 27 June 1977 (World Statesmen, Djibouti).
President, 1977 to 1999
In 1981 he made his party, the People's Rally for Progress (RPP), the only legal party, and he was re-elected unopposed that June (Wikipedia). After an Afar-led armed rebellion began in 1991, a referendum in September 1992 allowed up to four parties. He won a fourth term in May 1993 with 60.7% of the vote (same source). On 4 February 1999 he said he would retire, and his party chose his nephew Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, who succeeded him on 8 May 1999 (Wikipedia; World Statesmen). He died at home on 21 November 2006, aged 90 (French Senate).
Offices held
- Member of the French Council of the Republic (Senate) for French Somaliland, 1952 to 1958
- Vice President of the Government Council, December 1958 to April 1959
- Member of the French National Assembly, 1959 to 1962
- President of Djibouti, 27 June 1977 to 8 May 1999. See Presidents and Prime Ministers of Djibouti.
Sources
- World Statesmen, Djibouti · worldstatesmen.org
- French Senate, Hassan Gouled · senat.fr
- French National Assembly, Hassan Gouled · www2.assemblee-nationale.fr
- Wikipedia, Hassan Gouled Aptidon · en.wikipedia.org
Hassan Gouled AptidonXasan Guuleed Abtidoon · Hassan Gouled
- Lived
- 1916 to 2006
- Known as one of
- Leaders and statesmen
- Era
- Toward independence, 1920 to 1960; The Republic, 1960 to 1991; Rebuilding without a state, 1991 to 2012
- Sources
- 4 sources
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