# Mohamed Ibrahim Habsade (Maxamed Ibraahim Xabsade)

> Mohamed Ibrahim Habsade (1952–2015): army officer, co-founder and deputy chairman of the Rahanweyn Resistance Army, the 2002 Baidoa split, and his posts in the Transitional Federal Government.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/people/mohamed-ibrahim-habsade/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
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## In short

Mohamed Ibrahim Habsade was one of the founders of the [Rahanweyn Resistance Army](/en/institutions/rahanweyn-resistance-army/) (RRA), the armed movement of the Digil and Mirifle of Bay and [Bakool](/en/regions/bakool/). This page records his public role from the sources, without taking sides.

## Early life and army service

Wikipedia records that he was born on 10 November 1952 at Toosweyne, in Berdale district, Bay region, and that he served in the army under [Siad Barre](/en/people/siad-barre/), mainly in Hargeisa and [Burao](/en/regions/togdheer/). It identifies him with the Leysan of the Rahanweyn ([Wikipedia, Muhammad Ibrahim Habsade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ibrahim_Habsade)).

## Founding the RRA, 1995

After the forces of General [Mohamed Farrah Aidid](/en/people/mohamed-farrah-aidid/) took Baidoa on 17 September 1995, local leaders who had been pushed out, among them Habsade, took up arms. He was among those who founded the RRA at Jhaffey, near Berdale, in late 1995 (Wikipedia). [Garowe Online](/en/economy/somali-media-companies/) described him in 2015 as a co-founder of the movement, which "controlled southwestern regions" ([Garowe Online, 25 January 2015](https://garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/somalia-federal-mp-dies-in-mogadishu)). He and [Adan Madobe](/en/people/aden-madobe/) were the two deputies of the chairman, [Hassan Mohamed Nur "Shatigadud"](/en/people/hassan-mohamed-nur-shatigadud/) ([Wikipedia, Rahanweyn Resistance Army](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahanweyn_Resistance_Army)). The RRA took Baidoa in June 1999.

## The 2002 split

In April 2002 the RRA declared a South West State with Shatigadud as president. In July 2002 fighting broke out in Baidoa between forces loyal to Shatigadud and forces loyal to Habsade and Madobe; BBC News reported on 31 July 2002 that at least 12 people had been killed ([BBC News, via ecoi.net](https://www.ecoi.net/en/document/20491)). The dispute was partly over whether to back the [Transitional National Government](/en/history/transitional-governments-2000-2012/) or its opponents (Wikipedia, Rahanweyn Resistance Army). In May 2005 Habsade accused Madobe, by then a government minister, of attacking Baidoa on the government's behalf; 19 people were reported killed (Wikipedia, Adan Madobe, citing SABC News).

## In the federal government

He served as minister of land and air transport and as minister of agriculture in the Transitional Federal Government under President [Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed](/en/people/abdullahi-yusuf-ahmed/) (Wikipedia, citing [BBC Somali](/en/society/media-in-somalia/), 3 December 2007; Garowe Online). He later sat in the federal parliament. He died in Mogadishu on 24 January 2015; relatives attributed his death to complications of diabetes and high blood pressure (Garowe Online). See [South West State](/en/states/south-west-state/).

## Sources differ

- **Date of birth.** Wikipedia gives 10 November 1952; other sources give no date.
- **The 2002 fighting.** Casualty figures come from press reports at the time, and differ between them.

## Read the primary sources yourself

- Garowe Online, "Somalia: Federal MP dies in Mogadishu" (2015): [article](https://garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/somalia-federal-mp-dies-in-mogadishu).
- BBC News, "Militiamen fight for Somali town" (31 July 2002): [ecoi.net record](https://www.ecoi.net/en/document/20491).

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