Hussein Mohamed Farrah

Infobox_President |name=Hussein Mohamed Farrah Aidid حسين محمد فرح
nationality=Somali


order=6th President of Somalia
term_start=August 2, 1996
term_end=December 22, 1997
predecessor=Mohamed Farrah Aidid
successor=Abdiqasim Salad Hassan
birth_date=Birth date and age|1962|8|16|mf=y
birth_place=Mudug Region, Somalia
dead=alive
spouse=
party=Somali National Alliance (SNA)
vicepresident=

Hussein Mohamed Farrah ( _so. "Xuseen Maxamed Faarax"و _ar. حسين محمد فرح; born August 16, 1962 in Beledweyne, Somalia) is the son of Mohamed Farrah Aidid. Also known as Hussein Mohamed Farrah Aidid, Hussein Aidid [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1146654.stm Somalia's thoughtful 'warlord'] BBC] or Aidid Junior. [http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/1107 Somalia: Somali faction hands over thousands of landmines] SomaliNet]

Biography

Farrah went to the United States when he was 16 years old and attended Covina High School, Covina, California, graduating in 1981.

He was selected by the Habar Gidir clan to succeed his father when he died. [http://www.dictatorforhire.com/hussein-farrah-aydiid.shtml Hussein Farrah Aydiid] Dictator for Hire] He relinquished the disputed title of President by signing the Cairo Declaration, on December 22, 1997, in Cairo, Egypt following a peace process between Salbalar administration and Soodare Group.cite news
title=Somali Factions Sign Peace Agreement
url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9712/22/egypt.somalia/index.html?eref=sitesearch
publisher=CNN
date=1997-12-22
accessdate=2007-01-14 ] Farrah is seen by the West as a chance of improvement for the relationships between them and Somalia.

US Marine Corps

In April 1987, he volunteered to join the United States Marine Corps. At one time he was stationed at the Marine Corps reserve base in Pico Rivera, California as an artilleryman with Battery B of the 14th Marine Regiment. [cite book|first=Thomas|last=Ricks|title=Making The Corps|publisher=Scribner|year=1997|location=New York|pages=219] He served in Somalia during Operation Restore Hope as a translator. He was chosen because he was the only Marine who spoke Somali. [ [http://www.boston.com/news/daily/11/somali_warlord.htm Boston.com / Fighting Terrorism ] ] He later became a naturalized citizen, and remained in the United States until age 30.

omali National Alliance (SNA)

Upon his father's death on August 2, 1996, Hussein was sworn in as "interim President", [cite web |title= Death of a Warlord: The succession |url=http://www.netnomad.com/aydiidson.html |accessdate=2007-01-30 ] and became leader of the Somali National Alliance (SNA), the same alliance his father led against the US forces.

On September 1, 1996, Mr. Aidid met with UN representatives for the first time, to deal with issues left over as legacies of his father's administration. Issues addressed at the meeting which needed to be resolved before the return of UN workers and the resumption of UN assistance included the following concerns: [http://iys.cidi.org/humanitarian/hsr/96b/0014.html Somalia: Humanitarian Situation Report, September 1996] UN Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative for Somalia]

*Resolution of threats and incidents of kidnapping UNICEF and WHO international and national staff (ironically, on September 2, a local WHO staff member was kidnapped and held until September 6, after a $2,000 ransom was paid).
*Looting of WHO supplies.
*Looting of UN supplies and assets in Baidoa in 1995.

On December 17, 1996, rival warlord Ali Mahdi Mohamed attacked his headquarters after five days of fighting that left 135 dead in Mogadishu. [http://timelines.ws/countries/SOMALIA.HTML Timeline Somalia] Timelines.ws]

On December 22, 1997, he relinquished the disputed title of President by signing the Cairo Declaration, in Cairo, Egypt following a peace process between Salbalar administration and Soodare Group.cite news
title=Somali Factions Sign Peace Agreement
url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9712/22/egypt.somalia/index.html?eref=sitesearch
publisher=CNN
date=1997-12-22
accessdate=2007-01-14 ]

On March 30, 1998, Ali Mahdi Mohamed and Hussein Aidid put together a peace plan which shared power over Mogadishu, ending a period of seven years of fighting since the ouster of Siad Barre. [http://timelines.ws/countries/SOMALIA.HTML Timeline Somalia] Timelines.ws]

On February 23, 1999, militias loyal to Aidid killed 60 civilians in Baidoa and Daynunay. [http://timelines.ws/countries/SOMALIA.HTML Timeline Somalia] Timelines.ws]

omali Reconciliation and Restoration Council (SRRC)

Hussein Aidid refused to recognize the newly forming Djibouti-backed Mogadishu-based Transitional Federal Government (TFG) [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1235434.stm Somali warlords form unity council] BBC] , accusing it of "harboring militant Islamist sympathizers." [http://www.africaaction.org/docs02/ken0212.htm Africa Policy E-Journal, December 2002] Africa Action] Instead he formed the rival Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council (SRRC) in early 2001.

At some time during late 2001, he advised US President George W. Bush that a money transfer and telecommunications company, Al Barakaat, "had ties to terrorists and that there were terrorists in Somalia sympathetic to Osama bin Laden." [http://timelines.ws/countries/SOMALIA.HTML Timeline Somalia] Timelines.ws] He also "warned that militant Islamist Pakistani proselytizers were active in Mogadishu and other Somali cities and that they have strong links to Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya." [http://www.africaaction.org/docs02/ken0212.htm Africa Policy E-Journal, December 2002] Africa Action]

Transitional Federal Government (TFG)

Offices held:

*Deputy Prime Minister (2005 – May 13, 2007)
*Minister of the Interior (2005 – February 7, 2007)
*Minister of Public Works and Housing (February 7, 2007 – present)

In July 2003, at the Somali National Reconciliation Conference, the SRRC and TNG leadership reached key compromises: "The TNG accepted the number of parliamentarians proposed by the SRRC while the latter approved the inclusion of politicians as requested by the TNG." [http://www.banadir.com/sitrep_mbagathi_20.shtml Weekly Sitrep no. 20 (Covering from 05th to 11th July, 2003)] NOVIB SOMALIA Somali National Reconciliation Conference]

On October 25, 2005, Aidid handed over the USC/SNA's combined 3,500 landmines to non-profit Geneva Call. He and other faction leaders had agreed to stop burying land mines as a further sign of the ending of years of civil war. [http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/1107 Somalia: Somali faction hands over thousands of landmines] SomaliNet]

On December 28, 2006, after the defeat of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), Aidid was present when government forces entered Mogadishu. [http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=18979 Somali PM enters Mogadishu amid protests] Mustafa Haji Abdinur, Middle East Online] On January 2, 2007, Mr. Aidid was quoted as suggesting Somalis within Ethiopia and Somalia should share a common passport, raising concerns of whether Ethiopia had plans to annex Somalia. [http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/6375 Somalia and Ethiopia to be united, says Somali minister] SomaliNet]

On February 7, 2007, as part of Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Ghedi's cabinet reshuffling, he was moved from Minister of the Interior to Minister of Public Works and Housing.cite news
title=Somalia: PM reshuffles cabinet
url=http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/7334
date=2007-02-07
publisher=SomaliNet
accessdate=2007-02-10] ]

On 13 May 2007, he was sacked from the position of deputy prime minister, with the reason being given that he was inactive in his duties. This followed Aidid's defection to Asmara, Eritrea, and his accusation that Ethiopia was guilty of ‘genocide’ and calling for its withdrawal. [http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/10336]

Quote

*"Once a Marine, always a Marine."

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1747697.stm Analysis: Somalia's powerbrokers]
* [http://www.boston.com/news/daily/11/somali_warlord.htm From Marine to warlord: The strange journey of Hussein Farrah Aidid]

ee also

References