Back محمد فرح عيديد Arabic Muhammad Fara Hassan Catalan Mohamed Farrah Aidid Czech Mohamed Farrah Aidid Danish Mohammed Farah Aidid German Mohamed Farrah Aidid Spanish محمد فرح عیدید Persian Mohamed Farrah Aidid Finnish Mohamed Farrah Aidid French Mohamed Farrah Aidid Croatian
Mohamed Farrah Aidid | |
|---|---|
محمد فرح عيديد | |
 Aidid in 1995 | |
| President of Somalia | |
Disputed with Ali Mahdi Muhammad | |
| In office 15 June 1995 – 1 August 1996 | |
| Preceded by | Ali Mahdi Muhammad |
| Succeeded by | Ali Mahdi Muhammad |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 December 1934 Beledweyne, Italian Somaliland[1] |
| Died | 2 August 1996 (aged 61) Mogadishu, Somalia |
| Political party | United Somali Congress/Somali National Alliance (USC/SNA) |
| Spouse | Khadiga Gurhan |
| Children | Hussein Farrah Aidid |
| Alma mater | Frunze Military Academy |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Trust Territory of Somaliland(1954–1960)  Somali Republic(1960–1969) Somali Democratic Republic(1969–1984) United Somali Congress(1989–1992) Somali National Alliance(1992–1996) |
| Years of service | 1954–1996 |
| Rank |  Brigadier General |
| Battles/wars | |
Mohamed Farrah Hasan Garad (Somali: Maxamed Faarax Xasan Garaad, 'Caydiid Garaad' ; Arabic: محمد فرح حسن عيديد; 15 December 1934 – 1 August 1996), popularly known as General Aidid or Aideed, was a Somali military officer, diplomat and warlord.
Educated in both Rome and Moscow, he began his career during the 1950s serving as a police chief in the Italian ruled United Nations trusteeship security forces. Following Somalia's independence in 1960, Aidid became an officer in the Somali National Army. He eventually rose to the rank of Brigadier general and commanded military forces during the 1977–78 Ogaden War and the 1982–83 Border War. From 1984 to 1989, he was the ambassador to India for the Somali Democratic Republic.
In 1989, as the Somali Rebellion against President Siad Barre was escalating, Aidid became a major leader within the rebel United Somali Congress (USC), and soon after the rebel faction coalition the Somali National Alliance (SNA). Along with other armed opposition groups in early 1991, he succeeded in toppling President Barre's 22 year old regime, leading to the full outbreak of the civil war.[2] Aidid possessed aspirations for presidency of the new Somali government, and sought alliances and unions with other politico-military organizations in order to form a national government.[3]
Following the 5 June 1993 clash that resulted in the death of dozens of UNOSOM II troops, the SNA—and by extension, Aidid—were blamed, causing him to become one of the first wanted men of the United Nations. After the US-led 12 July 1993 Bloody Monday raid, which resulted in the death of many eminent members of his Habr Gidr clan, Aidid began deliberately targeting American troops for the first time. President Bill Clinton responded by implementing Operation Gothic Serpent, and deploying Delta Force and Task Force Ranger to capture him. The high American casualty rate of the ensuing Battle of Mogadishu on 3–4 October 1993, led UNOSOM to cease its four month long mission.[4] In December 1993, the U.S. Army flew Aidid to Addis Ababa to engage in peace talks.[5][6]
During a battle in Mogadishu between his militia and the forces of his former ally Osman Ali Atto, Aidid was fatally wounded by a sniper and later died on 2 August 1996.[7]
- ^ Mukhtar, Mohamed Haji (25 February 2003). Historical Dictionary of Somalia. Scarecrow Press. pp. 155–156. ISBN 9780810866041.
- ^ Mukhtar, Mohamed Haji (2003). Historical Dictionary of Somalia. Margaret Castagno. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. pp. 155–156. ISBN 978-0-8108-6604-1. OCLC 268778107.
- ^ Drysdale 1994, pp. 44–45.
- ^ Lewis, Paul (17 November 1993). "SEARCH FOR AIDID OFFICIALLY ENDED". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
- ^ Jehl, Douglas (7 December 1993). "Clinton Defends Use of U.S. Plane To Take a Somali Leader to Talks". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
President Clinton said today that he supported the decision by his envoy in Somalia to ferry Gen. Mohammed Farah Aidid to peace talks aboard a United States Army plane, but officials said they were seeking a less visible way to return General Aidid to Mogadishu.
- ^ Lauter, David (3 December 1993). "U.S. Flies Somali Clan Leader Aidid to Talks: Former fugitive is escorted to peace negotiations in Ethiopia by American military, which once hunted him". Los Angeles Times.
The American military, which lost 18 troops trying to capture Mohammed Farah Aidid in early October, provided the Somali clan leader with an airplane and an escort Thursday to get him to peace talks in the Ethiopian capital, leaving Administration officials scrambling to explain the latest twist in America's tangled adventure in Somalia.
- ^ Peterson 2000, pp. 324–325.