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Mohammed Siad Barre

Jaalle Mohamed Siad Barre
محمد سياد بري
Siad Barre.png
Military portrait of Major General Mohamed Siad Barre.
3rd President of Somalia
In office
October 21, 1969 – January 26, 1991
Vice President Muhammad Ali Samatar
Preceded by Mukhtar Mohamed Hussein
Succeeded by Ali Mahdi Muhammad
Personal details
Born Mohamed Siad Barre
October 6, 1910
Shilabo, Ogaden
Died January 2, 1995(1995-01-02) (aged 84)
Lagos, Nigeria
Political party Supreme Revolutionary Council
Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party
Spouse(s) Khadija Maalin
Dalyad Haji Hashi
Relations Abdirahman Jama Barre
Religion Islam
Military service
Nickname(s) Afweyne
Service/branch Somali National Army
Years of service 1960–1991
Rank Major General

Mohamed Siad Barre (Somali: Maxamed Siyaad Barre; Arabic: محمد سياد بري‎‎; October 6, 1910 – January 2, 1995) was the President of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969–91. During his rule, he styled himself as Jaalle Siyaad ("Comrade Siad").

The Barre-led military junta that came to power after a coup d'état in 1969 said it would adapt scientific socialism to the needs of Somalia. Volunteer labour harvested and planted crops, and built roads, hospitals and universities. Almost all industry, banks and businesses were nationalised, and cooperative farms were promoted. A new writing system for the Somali language was also adopted. Although his government forbade clanism and stressed loyalty to the central authorities, the government was commonly referred to by the code name MOD. This acronym stood for Marehan (Siad Barre's clan), Ogaden (the clan of Siad Barre's mother), and Dhulbahante (the clan of Siad Barre's son-in-law Colonel Ahmad Sulaymaan Abdullah, who headed NSS, the regime's intelligence agency). These were the three clans whose members formed the government's inner circle. Later, President Siad Barre incited and inflamed clan rivalries to divert the attention of the public away from his increasingly unpopular regime. By the time his regime collapsed in 1991 the Somali society had begun to witness an unprecedented outbreak of inter- and intra- clan conflicts.

After 21 years of military rule, Barre's Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party was eventually forced from power in the early 1990s by a coalition of armed opposition groups. He died in political exile in 1995, but was returned to Somalia for burial in his home region.


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