Ali Mahdi Muhammad (Somali: Cali Mahdi Maxamed, Arabic: علي مهدي محمد) (1 January 1939 – 10 March 2021) was a Somali entrepreneur and politician. He served as President of Somalia from 26 January 1991 to 3 January 1997. The Cairo Agreement in December 1997 designated Ali Mahdi as president once again, a position he held until being succeeded by Abdiqasim Salad in the year 2000.[1]
Muhammad rose to power after a coalition of armed opposition groups, including his own United Somali Congress, deposed longtime dictator Siad Barre. However, Muhammad was not able to exert his authority beyond parts of the capital, and instead vied for power with other faction leaders in the southern half of the country and with autonomous subnational entities in the north.[2]
Muhammad was born in 1939,[3] in Jowhar, an agricultural town in the southern Middle Shabelle region of Somalia (then a colony of Italy known as Italian Somaliland). His family hails from the Hawiye clan (Harti Abgaal Agoonyar).[3]
Muhammad began his career in business, working as an independent Mogadishu-based entrepreneur and first entered politics in 1968, competing for a parliamentary seat in Mogadishu.[4]
After fallout from the unsuccessful Ogaden campaign of the late 1970s, the Siad Barre administration began arresting government and military officials under suspicion of participation in the abortive 1978 coup d'état.[5][6] Most of the people who had allegedly helped plot the putsch were summarily executed.[7] However, several officials managed to escape abroad and started to form the first of various dissident groups dedicated to ousting Barre's regime by force.[8]
By the late 1980s, Barre's regime had grown considerably unpopular. The authorities became increasingly totalitarian, and resistance movements, supported by Ethiopia's communist Derg administration, sprang up across the country. This eventually led in 1991 to the outbreak of the civil war, the toppling of Barre's government, and the disbandment of the Somali National Army (SNA). Many of the opposition groups subsequently began competing for influence in the power vacuum that followed the ouster of Barre's regime. Armed factions led by United Somali Congress (USC) commanders Mahdi Muhammad and General Mohamed Farah Aidid, in particular, clashed as each sought to exert authority over the capital.[9]
President of SomaliaEdit
In 1991, a multi-phased international conference on Somalia was held in neighbouring Djibouti. Aidid boycotted the first meeting in protest. Due to the legitimacy conferred on Muhammad by the Djibouti conference, he was subsequently recognized by the international community as the new President of Somalia. Djibouti, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Italy were among the countries that officially extended recognition to Muhammad's administration.[10] However, he was not able to exert his authority beyond parts of the capital, and instead vied for power with other faction leaders in the southern half of the country and with autonomous subnational entities in the north.[2] The competition for influence and resources between Muhammad and Aidid continued on through the 1992–95 United Nations missions to Somalia (UNOSOM I, UNOSOM II, and UNITAF), until Aidid's eventual death in 1996.
In 2000, Muhammad participated in another conference in Djibouti, where he lost a re-election bid to Barre's former Interior Minister Abdiqasim Salad Hassan. Muhammad gave a concession speech, indicating that he respected the outcome of the election and would support and work with the new President-elect.
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Ali Mahdi Muhammad Somali Cali Mahdi Maxamed Arabic علي مهدي محمد 1 January 1939 10 March 2021 was a Somali entrepreneur and politician He served as President of Somalia from 26 January 1991 to 3 January 1997 The Cairo Agreement in December 1997 designated Ali Mahdi as president once again a position he held until being succeeded by Abdiqasim Salad in the year 2000 1 Ali Mahdi Muhammadعلي مهدي محمدAli Mahdi Muhammad in 20204th President of SomaliaIn office 26 January 1991 27 August 2000Preceded byMohamed Siad BarreSucceeded byAbdiqasim Salad HassanPersonal detailsBorn 1939 01 01 1 January 1939Jowhar SomaliaDied10 March 2021 2021 03 10 aged 82 Nairobi KenyaNationalitySomaliPolitical partyUnited Somali CongressMuhammad rose to power after a coalition of armed opposition groups including his own United Somali Congress deposed longtime dictator Siad Barre However Muhammad was not able to exert his authority beyond parts of the capital and instead vied for power with other faction leaders in the southern half of the country and with autonomous subnational entities in the north 2 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2 1 United Somali Congress 2 2 President of Somalia 3 Death 4 ReferencesEarly life EditMuhammad was born in 1939 3 in Jowhar an agricultural town in the southern Middle Shabelle region of Somalia then a colony of Italy known as Italian Somaliland His family hails from the Hawiye clan Harti Abgaal Agoonyar 3 Career EditUnited Somali Congress Edit Main articles Somalian Revolution 1986 1992 and United Somali Congress Muhammad began his career in business working as an independent Mogadishu based entrepreneur and first entered politics in 1968 competing for a parliamentary seat in Mogadishu 4 After fallout from the unsuccessful Ogaden campaign of the late 1970s the Siad Barre administration began arresting government and military officials under suspicion of participation in the abortive 1978 coup d etat 5 6 Most of the people who had allegedly helped plot the putsch were summarily executed 7 However several officials managed to escape abroad and started to form the first of various dissident groups dedicated to ousting Barre s regime by force 8 By the late 1980s Barre s regime had grown considerably unpopular The authorities became increasingly totalitarian and resistance movements supported by Ethiopia s communist Derg administration sprang up across the country This eventually led in 1991 to the outbreak of the civil war the toppling of Barre s government and the disbandment of the Somali National Army SNA Many of the opposition groups subsequently began competing for influence in the power vacuum that followed the ouster of Barre s regime Armed factions led by United Somali Congress USC commanders Mahdi Muhammad and General Mohamed Farah Aidid in particular clashed as each sought to exert authority over the capital 9 President of Somalia Edit In 1991 a multi phased international conference on Somalia was held in neighbouring Djibouti Aidid boycotted the first meeting in protest Due to the legitimacy conferred on Muhammad by the Djibouti conference he was subsequently recognized by the international community as the new President of Somalia Djibouti Egypt Saudi Arabia and Italy were among the countries that officially extended recognition to Muhammad s administration 10 However he was not able to exert his authority beyond parts of the capital and instead vied for power with other faction leaders in the southern half of the country and with autonomous subnational entities in the north 2 The competition for influence and resources between Muhammad and Aidid continued on through the 1992 95 United Nations missions to Somalia UNOSOM I UNOSOM II and UNITAF until Aidid s eventual death in 1996 In 2000 Muhammad participated in another conference in Djibouti where he lost a re election bid to Barre s former Interior Minister Abdiqasim Salad Hassan Muhammad gave a concession speech indicating that he respected the outcome of the election and would support and work with the new President elect Death EditAli Mahdi Muhammad died on 10 March 2021 in Nairobi Kenya after contracting COVID 19 during the COVID 19 pandemic in Kenya 11 References Edit Somalia The warlords make peace at last International The Economist webcache googleusercontent com Retrieved March 11 2021 a b Somalia Some key actors in the transitional process IRIN May 6 2005 Archived from the original on September 27 2007 Retrieved February 7 2007 a b Metz Helen Chapin ed 1993 Somalia a country study The Division p 155 ISBN 0844407755 Retrieved June 10 2014 Whitaker s Almanack World Heads of State 1998 Stationery Office Roger East page 222 ARR Arab report and record Economic Features ltd 1978 p 602 Ahmed III Abdul Brothers in Arms Part I PDF WardheerNews Archived from the original PDF on May 3 2012 Retrieved February 28 2012 New People Media Centre New people Issues 94 105 New People Media Centre Comboni Missionaries 2005 Nina J Fitzgerald Somalia issues history and bibliography Nova Publishers 2002 p 25 Library Information and Research Service The Middle East Abstracts and index Volume 2 Library Information and Research Service 1999 p 327 Paul Fricska Szilard Harbinger of a New World Order Humanitarian Intervention in Somalia PDF University of British Columbia Archived from the original PDF on March 16 2012 Retrieved October 6 2013 Former Somali president Ali Mahdi dies in Nairobi Citizentv co ke March 10 2021 Retrieved March 11 2021 Political officesPreceded byMuhammad Siad Barre President of Somalia1991 1997 1997 2000 Succeeded byVacant post next held by Abdiqasim Salad Hassan Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ali Mahdi Muhammad amp oldid 1180231001, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
