Siad Bars

Mohamed Siad Bars (in Somali: Maxamed Siyaad Barre ) (1919, Ganane, Italian Somalia - January 2nd 1995, Lagos, Nigeria) is a soldier and statesman Somalia N of 1969 with 1991. Before reaching the presidency, he is commander in the army of the democratic Government of Somalia set up at independence in 1960.

Military beginnings

Siad Barre is an orphan shepherd when it joined the Italian colonial police force. Without school education, he studies much and follows some military courses in Italy. He becomes vice-commander of the army to the independence of Somalia in 1960. After having made exercises of drive united with Soviet officers at the beginning of the Years 1960, it is convinced by the Marxisme.

In 1969, following the assassination of the president Abdirashid Ali Shermarke, the country is at the edge of the civil war and it is thanks to the coup d'etat of which he was the craftsman and the executant with young officers that the country avoids accuracy chaos. It founds the second Republic then, issues the equality of the citizens in front of the law while imposing on an antiquated company and machist the equality of the sexes. True lit tyrant, it founds the exemption from payment of the care and education, which makes it possible several hundreds of thousands of nomads to settle in the cities and in particular Mogadiscio. It is true however that it developed a worship of the personality: broad portraits the representative are installed in the capital Mogadiscio and in province, of which some still remained intact 16 years after its fall, such of the relics intended to entreat the bad fate which falls down on Somalia.

Alliances

During the Cold war, the Soviet Union and the the United States are interested in Somalia for its strategic geographical positioning, with the entry of the Red Sea. The government of Siad Barre has first of all the support of the Soviet Union. But it loses this support in 1977, following the Somali attempts at annexation of the Ogaden, an area of Ethiopia (country also supported by Soviet). It returns the Soviet advisers then, breaks the treaty of friendship with the Soviet Union, and turns to the Western. The United States enters then in scene and is, until in 1989, a support of weight, by pouring approximately 100 million dollars per annum in economic aid and military.

In 1977, Siad Bars cheek a big role when, the 17 and October 18th, a Palestinian commando of the name of Martyr Halimeh , near of the Liberation popular front to Palestine and Red Army Fraction, diverts flight 181 of Lufthansa towards Mogadiscio. The German chancellor Helmut Schmidt and Siad Barre negotiates to let the unit of fight anti-terrorist GSG-9 intervene on the airport of Mogadiscio in order to release the hostages.

Fall

At the end of the Years 1980, in the north of the country, the National Somali Movement (SNM) of the clan Issak, armed and pulled by Ethiopia, is opposed to Siad Barre and gains ground quickly. A repression is carried out by the regular army on the civilians, making fifty to sixty thousand killed between 1988 and 1990, which does one of the most fatal conflicts of them on the continent. Siad Barre is finally relieved the January 26th 1991. Ali Mahdi Muhammad succeeds until November 1991 to him, without never succeeding in imposing itself politically and militarily on the whole of the territory.

After having left Mogadiscio in January 1991, Siad Bars remainder in the south-west of the country, area controlled by his/her son-in-law Mohamed Said Hersi. It tests by twice taking again the capacity with Mogadiscio, but, in May 1992, it is put in rout by the army of the general Aïdid and is constrained with the exile. It leaves for Nairobi, but, at the end of two weeks, in front of the lifting of boucliesr of groups of opposition having the support of the Kenyan government, it settles finally with the Nigeria. He dies the January 2nd 1995 with Lagos of an heart attack. Its remainders are buried in its birthplace in Somalia.

Sources

Translates article of anglophone Wikipédia: .

References

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