Mohammed Siad Barre
| Jaalle Mohamed Siad Barre محمد سياد بري |
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Military portrait of Major General Mohamed Siad Barre.
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| 3rd President of Somalia | |
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In office October 21, 1969 – January 26, 1991 |
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| 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 (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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