Editing Mohamed Farrah Aidid

{{short description|Somali army general, politician and diplomat (1934–1996)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Mohamed Farrah Aidid
| native_name         = {{no bold|Maxamed Faarax Caydiid<br>محمد فرح عيديد}}
| image               = Мохамед Фарах Айдид.jpg
| office              = [[President of Somalia]]
| term_start          = 15 June 1995
| term_end            = 2 August 1996
| successor           = [[Ali Mahdi Muhammad]]
| predecessor         = [[Ali Mahdi Muhammad]]
| party               = [[United Somali Congress]]/[[Somali National Alliance]] (USC/SNA)
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1934|12|15|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Beledweyne]], [[Italian Somaliland]]<ref name="Historical Dictionary of Somalia ">{{cite book |last=Mukhtar |first=Mohamed Haji |title= Historical Dictionary of Somalia |date=25 February 2003 |isbn=9780810866041 |pages= 155–156|publisher=Scarecrow Press }}</ref>
| death_cause         = [[Heart attack]]
| death_date          = {{death date and age|1996|8|2|1934|12|15|df=y}}
| death_place         = [[Mogadishu]], Somalia
| spouse              = Khadiga Gurhan
| alma_mater          = [[Frunze Military Academy]]
| battles             = {{tree list}}
*[[1964 Ethiopian–Somali Border War|Border War of 1964]]
* [[Ogaden War]]
* [[1982 Ethiopian–Somali Border War|Border War of 1982]]
* [[Somali Civil War]]
* [[UNOSOM II]]
** [[Battle of Mogadishu (1993)|Battle of Mogadishu]]
{{tree list/end}}
| rank                = [[File:15-Somali Army-MG 02.png|70px]]<br>[[Brigadier General]]
| serviceyears        = 1954–1996
| native_name_lang    = ar
| caption             = Aidid in 1995
| honorific_prefix    = [[Brigadier General]]
| allegiance          = {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Trust Territory of Somaliland]]<br>(1954–1960)<br />{{flagicon|Somalia}} [[Somali Republic]]<br>(1960–1969)<br />{{flagicon|Somalia}} [[Somali Democratic Republic]]<br>(1969–1984)<br />{{flagicon|Somalia}} [[United Somali Congress]]<br>(1989–1992)<br />{{flagicon|Somalia}} [[Somali National Alliance]]<br>(1992–1996)
| status              = <small>{{nowrap|Disputed with [[Ali Mahdi Muhammad]]}}</small>
| children            = [[Hussein Farrah Aidid]]
}}

'''Mohamed Farrah Hasan Garad''' ({{langx|so|Maxamed Faarax Xasan Garaad, 'Caydiid Garaad'}} ; {{langx|ar|محمد فرح حسن عيديد}}; 15 December 1934 – 2 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 [[Trust Territory of Somaliland|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 [[Ogaden War|1977–78 Ogaden War]] and the [[1982 Ethiopian–Somali Border War|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 [[Siad Barre|Barre]]'s 22 year old regime, leading to the full outbreak of the [[Somali Civil War|civil war]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Mukhtar |first=Mohamed Haji |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/268778107 |title=Historical Dictionary of Somalia |date=2003 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |others=Margaret Castagno |isbn=978-0-8108-6604-1 |edition= |location=Lanham, Md. |pages=155–156 |oclc=268778107}}</ref> 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.{{Sfn|Drysdale|1994|pp=44–45}}

Following the [[June 1993 attack on Pakistani military in Somalia|5 June 1993 clash]] that resulted in the death of dozens of [[United Nations Operation in Somalia II|UNOSOM II]] troops, the [[Somali National Alliance|SNA]]&mdash;and by extension, Aidid&mdash;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 [[Habar Gidir|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 (1993)|Battle of Mogadishu]] on 3–4 October 1993, led UNOSOM to cease its four month long mission.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Paul |date=1993-11-17 |title=SEARCH FOR AIDID OFFICIALLY ENDED |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/17/world/search-for-aidid-officially-ended.html |access-date=2022-09-12 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=12 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220912030747/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/17/world/search-for-aidid-officially-ended.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In December 1993, the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] flew Aidid to [[Addis Ababa]] to engage in peace talks.<ref name=":10">{{Cite news |last=Jehl |first=Douglas |date=1993-12-07 |title=Clinton Defends Use of U.S. Plane To Take a Somali Leader to Talks |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/07/world/clinton-defends-use-of-us-plane-to-take-a-somali-leader-to-talks.html |access-date=2025-02-11 |work=[[The New York Times]] |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |quote=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.}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Cite news |last=Lauter |first=David |date=3 December 1993 |title=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 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-03-mn-63518-story.html |url-access=subscription |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |quote=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.}}</ref>

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.{{Sfn|Peterson|2000|pp=324-325}}

==Early years==
{{main|1969 Somali coup d'état|Ogaden War}}
Aidid was born in 1934 in [[Beledweyne]], [[Italian Somaliland]].<ref name=":4" /> He is from the [[Habar Gidir]] subclan of the greater [[Hawiye]] clan.<ref name="Twwno">{{cite magazine |last=Purvis |first=Andrew |title=Wanted: Warlord No. 1 |magazine=Time |date=28 June 1993 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,978788,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070428134610/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,978788,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 April 2007 |access-date=2 January 2007}}</ref> During the era of the [[British Military Administration (Somaliland)|British Military Administration]] he moved to [[Galkayo]] in the [[Mudug]] region to stay with a cousin, a policeman who would teach Aidid to both type and speak in Italian.<ref name=":4" />

Soon after, during the period of the [[Trust Territory of Somaliland|Italian ruled United Nations trusteeship]] which began in 1950, a young Aidid enlisted in the ''Corpo di Polizia della Somalia'' (Police Corps of Somalia) and in 1954 was sent to Italy to be trained at an infantry school in [[Rome]], after which he was appointed to work under several high ranking Somali police officers. In 1958, Aidid would serve as Chief of Police in [[Banaadir]] Province, and the following year he returned to Italy to receive further education.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":7" /> He was also a member of the [[Somali Youth League]] (SYL), the leading political group advocating for Somalia’s independence. According to Aidid, he and other officers debated with Italian administrators who opposed forming a Somali military, arguing the [[United Nations]] would provide security for the nation. Aidid argued with Italian UN officials that the [[Ethiopian Empire]] posed a serious threat and Somalia needed its own armed forces.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Aidid |first1=Mohammed Farah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gaphQgAACAAJ |title=Somalia: From the Dawn of Civilization to the Modern Times |last2=Ruhela |first2=Satya Pal |date=1994 |publisher=Vikas Publishing House |isbn=978-0-7069-8004-2 |pages=93–94 |language=en}}</ref>

In 1960, Somalia gained independence and Aidid joined the newly formed [[Somali National Army]]. He was promoted to lieutenant and became [[aide-de-camp]] of Maj. Gen. [[Daud Abdulle Hirsi]], the first commander of the [[Somali National Army]].<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite book |last=Ingiriis |first=Mohamed Haji |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/951539094 |title=The Suicidal State in Somalia : The Rise and Fall of the Siad Barre Regime (1969-1991) |publisher=UPA |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-7618-6719-7 |oclc=951539094}}</ref> Aidid first gained combat experience commanding Somali army troops during the escalating border skirmishes against the [[Army of the Ethiopian Empire|Ethiopian Imperial Army]] that preceded the [[1964 Ethiopian–Somali Border War|1964 Ethiopian–Somali War]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Aidid |first1=Mohammed Farah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gaphQgAACAAJ |title=Somalia: From the Dawn of Civilization to the Modern Times |last2=Ruhela |first2=Satya Pal |date=1994 |publisher=Vikas Publishing House |isbn=978-0-7069-8004-2 |pages=193 |language=en}}</ref> Requiring more formal training and having been recognized as a highly qualified officer, he was later selected to study advanced post graduate military science at the [[Frunze Military Academy]] (Военная академия им. М. В. Фрунзе) in the [[Soviet Union]] for three years, an elite institution reserved for the most qualified officers of the [[Warsaw Pact]] armies and their allies.<ref name=":4" /><ref name="Ahmedbiapo">{{cite web|last=Ahmed III|first=Abdul|title=Brothers in Arms Part I|url=http://wardheernews.com/Articles_2011/Oct/29_Brothers_in_Army_abdul.pdf|publisher=WardheerNews|access-date=15 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503221634/http://www.wardheernews.com/Articles_2011/Oct/29_Brothers_in_Army_abdul.pdf|archive-date=3 May 2012}}</ref>

=== October 1969 Coup d'état and imprisonment ===
In 1969, a few days after the assassination of Somalia's President [[Abdirashid Shermarke|Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke]], a [[military junta]] known as the [[Supreme Revolutionary Council (Somalia)|Supreme Revolutionary Council]] (SRC), led by Major General [[Siad Barre|Mohamed Siad Barre]], would take advantage of the disarray and stage [[1969 Somali coup d'état|a bloodless coup d'état]] on the democratically elected [[Somali Republic|Somali government]]. At the time Aidid was serving as Lieutenant Colonel in the army with [[26th Division (Somalia)|26th Division]] in [[Hargeisa]]. He was also the Head of Operations for the Central and Northern Regions of Somalia. After the assassination, he was relieved of his duties and was recalled to [[Mogadishu]] to lead the troops guarding the burial of the deceased President. By November 1969, he had quickly fallen under suspicion by high ranking members of the Supreme Revolutionary Council, including Barre. Without trial, he was subsequently detained in Mandera Prison along with Colonel [[Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed]] for nearly six years.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ismail Ali Ismail |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/620115177 |title=Governance : the scourge and hope of Somalia |date=2010 |publisher=Trafford Pub |isbn=978-1-4269-1980-0 |location=[Bloomington, IN] |pages=214 |oclc=620115177}}</ref><ref name=":7" /> Aidid and Yusuf were both widely regarded to be politically ambitious officers, and potential figureheads in a future coup attempt.{{Sfn|Drysdale|1994|pp=20–28}} Aidid claimed that his imprisonment was a result of encouraging President Barre to transfer power over from the Somali military to civilian technocrats.<ref name=":5" />

=== Return to military service ===
{{Main|Ogaden War|1982 Ethiopian–Somali Border War|l2 = 1982 Ethiopian invasion}}
Aidid was eventually released in October 1975, and he returned to service in the [[Somali National Army]] to take part in the [[Ogaden War|1977-1978 Ogaden War]] against [[Ethiopia]].<ref name=":2">{{cite book|last=United Nations. Dept. of Public Information|title=The Blue Helmets: A Review of United Nations Peace-keeping|year=1996|publisher=United Nations, Dept. of Public Information|isbn=9211006112|page=287}}</ref><ref name=":7" /> During the war, he was promoted to [[brigadier general]] and became an [[aide-de-camp]] to President [[Siad Barre|Mohammed Siad Barre]].<ref name=":4" /> Headquartered in [[Hargeisa]], Brig Gen Aidid and Maj Gen Gallel would command the [[26th Division (Somalia)|26th Division]] on the [[Dire Dawa]] Front.<ref>{{Cite book |author=Cooper, Tom |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1091720875 |title=Wings over Ogaden : the Ethiopian-Somali War 1978-1979 |date=2015 |publisher=Helion & Company |isbn=978-1-909982-38-3 |oclc=1091720875 |access-date=14 September 2022 |archive-date=22 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240522135245/https://search.worldcat.org/title/1091720875 |url-status=live }}</ref> In one of the final Somali offensive actions of the war, SNA [[Brigade|brigades]] under Aidid's command attacked Ethiopian forces holding the strategic [[Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway]] in March 1978, aiming to delay and divert the enemy as the rest of the army withdrew. His forces seized a significant section of the rail line, destroyed parts of it, and held their positions for as long as it was tenable. According to Aidid, several [[Soviet Armed Forces]] military experts embedded with the Ethiopian/Cuban army—who had previously worked with him in Somalia—shifted their focus from the withdrawing SNA to his brigades upon recognizing his presence on the [[Dire Dawa]] front.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last1=Aidid |first1=Mohammed Farah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gaphQgAACAAJ |title=Somalia: From the Dawn of Civilization to the Modern Times |last2=Ruhela |first2=Satya Pal |date=1994 |publisher=Vikas Publishing House |isbn=978-0-7069-8004-2 |pages=117–118 |language=en}}</ref>

Following the Ogaden War, having served with distinction, Aidid worked as a presidential staffer to Barre before being appointed [[intelligence (agency)|intelligence]] minister.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=9 September 2007 |title=CNN – Somali faction leader Aidid dies  |url=http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9608/02/aideed/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070909180649/http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9608/02/aideed/ |archive-date=9 September 2007 |access-date=23 March 2018}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last1=Daniels |first1=Christopher L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4j-ZUgKCiqIC&q=aidid+born+in+mudug&pg=PA143 |title=Somali Piracy and Terrorism in the Horn of Africa |date=5 April 2012 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=9780810883116 |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=22 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240522135407/https://books.google.com/books?id=4j-ZUgKCiqIC&q=aidid+born+in+mudug&pg=PA143#v=snippet&q=aidid%20born%20in%20mudug&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Stevenson |first=Jonathan |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/31435791 |title=Losing Mogadishu : testing U.S. policy in Somalia |date=1995 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=1-55750-788-0 |location=Annapolis, Md. |pages=29 |oclc=31435791 |access-date=14 September 2022 |archive-date=22 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240522135321/https://search.worldcat.org/title/31435791 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Biddle |first=Stephen D |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1328017938 |title=Nonstate warfare : the military methods of guerillas, warlords, and militias |date=26 July 2022 |isbn=978-0-691-21666-9 |page=184 |publisher=Princeton University Press |oclc=1328017938 |access-date=14 September 2022 |archive-date=22 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240522135350/https://search.worldcat.org/title/1328017938 |url-status=live }}</ref> He was highly critical of how Barre handled the SNA withdrawal from the Ogaden and later charged that the president failed "[to] give promotions or medals to those who fought heroically". Aidid claimed this and other issues caused resentment in the armed forces.<ref name=":3" /> Under pressure from President Barre, Aidid gave a written guarantee in 1978 that Col [[Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed|Abdullahi Yusuf]] would not attempt a [[Coup d'état|coup d'eat]]. Yusuf would go on to break the pledge in a failed coup attempt and escaped to Ethiopia. Aidid was left stranded but was rescued by a high ranking ally in the regime, and was consequently saved from any punishment.{{Sfn|Drysdale|1994|pp=20–28}} 

[[File:Werkbezoek Somalische president Siard Barre Barre wordt begroet door minister , Bestanddeelnr 929-8864.jpg|thumb|Brigadier General Aidid (left), and President Barre meeting Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs [[Chris van der Klaauw]] in the Netherlands in 1978.]]

During the [[1982 Ethiopian–Somali Border War|1982 war with Ethiopia]], Aidid, serving under General Yusuf Ahmed Salhan, was a top [[Somali National Army]] commander, leading the defense of central Somalia’s border regions against Ethiopian military offensives.<ref name=":22">{{Cite journal |date=25 August 1982 |title=Somalia: Taking Stock |journal=[[Africa Confidential]] |volume=23 |issue=17 |pages=8}}</ref>

==Somali Rebellion and Civil War==
{{main|Somali Civil War|United Somali Congress|Somali National Alliance}}
In 1979, Barre had appointed Aidid to parliament, but in 1984, after perceiving him as a potential rival, sent him away to [[India]] by making Aidid the ambassador for Somalia.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":6" /> 
 
He would use his time in the country to frequently attend lectures at the [[Delhi University|University of Delhi]] and, with the aid of Indian lecturers at the [[Delhi University|University of Delhi]], completed three books (''A Vision of Somalia'', ''The Preferred Future Development in Somalia'', and ''Somalia from the Dawn of Human Civilization to Today'').{{Sfn|Drysdale|1994|pp=20–28}}

=== United Somali Congress ===
By the late 1980s, Barre's regime had become increasingly unpopular. The State took an increasingly hard line, and insurgencies, encouraged by Ethiopia's communist Derg administration, sprang up across the country. Being a member of the Hawiye clan, a high ranking government official and an experienced soldier, Aidid was deemed a natural choice for helping lead the military campaign for the [[United Somali Congress]] against the regime, and he was soon persuaded to leave [[New Delhi]] and return to Somalia.<ref name=":8" />

Aidid defected from the embassy to India in 1989 and then left the country to join the growing opposition against the Barre regime. Following his defection, he had received an invitation from Ethiopian President [[Mengistu Haile Mariam|Mengistu Haile-Mariam]], who would go on to give Aidid permission to create and run a USC military operation from Ethiopian soil.{{Sfn|Drysdale|1994|pp=20–28}} From base camps near the Somali-Ethiopian border, he began directing the final military offensive of the newly formed United Somali Congress to seize Mogadishu and topple the regime.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Richburg |first=Keith |date=8 September 1992 |title=AIDEED: WARLORD IN A FAMISHED LAND |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1992/09/08/aideed-warlord-in-a-famished-land/071be58c-f5fb-47ef-92df-b1197b638ee7/ |access-date=2 September 2022 |archive-date=22 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240522135256/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1992/09/08/aideed-warlord-in-a-famished-land/071be58c-f5fb-47ef-92df-b1197b638ee7/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The USC was at that time split into three factions: USC-Rome, USC-Mogadishu, later followed by USC-Ethiopia; as neither the first two former locations were a suitable launching pad to topple the Barre regime. [[Ali Mahdi Mohamed]], an influential member of the congress who would later become Aidid's prime rival, opposed Aidid's involvement in the USC and supported the Rome faction of the Congress, who also resented Aidid. The first serious signs of fractures within the USC came in June 1990, when Mahdi and the USC-Rome faction rejected the election of Aidid to chairman of the USC, disputing the validity of the vote.{{Sfn|Drysdale|1994|pp=15–16}} That same month Aidid would go on to form a military alliance with the northern [[Somali National Movement]] (SNM) and the [[Somali Patriotic Movement]] (SPM). In October 1990, the SNM, SPM and USC would sign an agreement to hold no peace talks until the complete and total overthrow of the Barre regime. They further agreed to form a provisional government following Barres removal, and then to hold elections.{{Sfn|Drysdale|1994|pp=20–28}}

By November 1990, the news of Gen. Aidid's USC forces overrunning President [[Siad Barre]]s 21st army in the [[Mudug]], [[Galguduud|Galgudud]] and [[Hiran, Somalia|Hiran]] regions convinced many that a war in [[Mogadishu]] was imminent, leading the civilian population of the city to begin rapidly arming itself.{{Sfn|Drysdale|1994|pp=20–28}} This, combined with actions of other rebel organizations, eventually led to the full outbreak of the [[Somali Civil War|Somali civil war]], the gradual breakup of the [[Somali Armed Forces]], and the toppling of the Barre regime in Mogadishu on 26 January 1991. Following the [[power vacuum]] left by the fall of Barre, the situation in Somalia began to rapidly spiral out of control, and rebel factions subsequently began to fight for control of the remnants of the Somali state. Most notably, the split between the two main factions of the [[United Somali Congress]] (USC), led by Aidid and his rival [[Ali Mahdi Mohamed|Ali Mahdi]], would result in serious fighting and vast swathes of Mogadishu would consequently destroyed as both factions attempted to exert control over the city.<ref name="Lirs">Library Information and Research Service, ''The Middle East: Abstracts and Index'', Volume 2, (Library Information and Research Service: 1999), p. 327.</ref><ref name="Ahmed">{{cite web |last=Ahmed III |first=Abdul |title=Brothers in Arms Part Forces I |url=http://wardheernews.com/Articles_2011/Oct/29_Brothers_in_Army_abdul.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503221634/http://www.wardheernews.com/Articles_2011/Oct/29_Brothers_in_Army_abdul.pdf |archive-date=3 May 2012 |access-date=28 February 2012 |publisher=WardheerNews}}</ref>

Both Ali Mahdi and Aidid claimed to lead national unity governments, and each vied to lead the reconstruction of the Somali state.<ref name=":7" />

=== Somali National Alliance ===
Aidid's wing of the USC would morph into the [[Somali National Alliance|Somalia National Alliance]] (SNA) or USC/SNA. During the spring and summer of 1992, Former President [[Siad Barre]]s army attempted to retake [[Mogadishu]],  but successful joint defence and counterattack by Aidid's [[United Somali Congress|USC]] wing, the [[Somali Patriotic Movement|Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM)]], the Somali Southern National Movement (SSNM) and [[Somali Democratic Movement|Somali Democratic Movement (SDM)]] (all united under the banner of the Somali Liberation Army) to push the last remnants of Barres troops out of southern Somalia into [[Kenya]] on June 16, 1992 would lead to the formation of the political union known as the Somali National Alliance.{{Sfn|Drysdale|1994|pp=44–45}} This absorption of different political organizations was critical to Aidid’s approach to taking the presidency.<ref name=":7" />

As leader of the Somali National Alliance, Aidid, with presidential aspirations, expressed the goal of using the SNA as a base for working toward forming a national reconciliation government and claimed to also be aiming for an eventual multi-party democracy. To this end Aidid required and sought political agreements with the  only two remaining major factions, the [[Somali National Movement]] (SNM) and [[Somali Salvation Democratic Front]] (SSDF), to leave his main rival [[Ali Mahdi Mohamed]] isolated in an enclave in North Mogadishu.{{Sfn|Drysdale|1994|pp=44–45}}<ref name=":5"/>

Aidid's grip on power in the SNA was fragile, as his ability to impose decisions on the organization was limited. A council of elders held decision making power for most significant issues and elections were held that threatened Aidid's chairmanship.{{Sfn|Drysdale|1994|p=9}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Biddle |first=Stephen D. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1224042096 |title=Nonstate warfare : the military methods of guerillas, warlords, and militias |date=2021 |others=Council on Foreign Relations |isbn=978-0-691-21665-2 |location=Princeton |pages=182–224 |oclc=1224042096}}</ref>

==United Nations Intervention==
{{main|June 1993 attack on Pakistani military in Somalia|Abdi House raid|Battle of Mogadishu (1993)}}
In April 1992 the United Nations intervened in Somalia, creating [[United Nations Operation in Somalia I|UNOSOM I]]. [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 794]] was unanimously passed on 3 December 1992, which approved a coalition led by the [[United States]]. Forming the [[Unified Task Force]] (UNITAF), the alliance was given the task of assuring security until humanitarian efforts were transferred to the UN.<ref>[[Ken Rutherford (scientist)|Ken Rutherford]], [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1565492609 ''Humanitarianism Under Fire: The US and UN Intervention in Somalia'', Kumarian Press, July 2008] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200310121722/https://www.amazon.com/dp/1565492609 |date=10 March 2020 }} {{ISBN|1-56549-260-9}}</ref>

Aidid initially publicly opposed the deployment of United Nations forces to Somalia, but eventually relented.<ref name=":4" /> He and UN Secretary-General [[Boutros Boutros-Ghali|Boutros Boutros Ghali]] both despised one another. Before being [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|Secretary-General]], Boutros Ghali had been an Egyptian diplomat that had supported President Siad Barre against the USC in the late 80s and early 90s.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bowden |first=Mark |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/456177378 |title=Black Hawk Down : A Story of Modern War |date=2010 |isbn=978-0-8021-4473-7 |location=New York |pages=71–72 |oclc=456177378}}</ref> At Atto's urging, Aidid decided to welcome the deployment of American military forces under [[Unified Task Force|UNITAF]] (Operation Restore Hope) in December 1992, in part because Atto had close ties to U.S. embassy officials in [[Nairobi]], Kenya and the American oil company [[Conoco]].{{Sfn|Drysdale|1994|pp=86-89}} In January 1993, Special Representative of the UN in Somalia, [[Ismat T. Kittani|Ismat Kittani]], requested that Aidid come to the Addis Abba Peace Conference set to be held in March.{{Sfn|Drysdale|1994|p=6}}

=== UNOSOM II ===
{{Main|United Nations Operation in Somalia II}}
In early May 1993, Gen. Aidid and Col. [[Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed|Abdullahi Yusuf]] of the [[Somali Salvation Democratic Front]] (SSDF) agreed to convene a peace conference for central Somalia. In light of recent conflict between the two, the initiative was seen a major step towards halting the [[Somali Civil War]].{{Sfn|Drysdale|1994|p=167}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Peacemaking at the Crossroads: Consolidation of the 1993 Mudug Peace Agreement |url=https://pdrcsomalia.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Consolidation-of-Mudug-Peace-Agreement.pdf |website=Puntland Development Research Centre}}</ref> Gen. Aidid, having initiated the talks with Col. Yusuf, considered himself the conference chair, setting the agenda.<ref name=":02">{{Cite report |url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/189847 |title=Report of the Commission of Inquiry Established Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 885 (1994) to Investigate Armed Attacks on UNOSOM II Personnel Which Led to Casualties Among Them |author=UN Secretary-General |date=1 June 1994 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808203834/https://tind-customer-undl.s3.amazonaws.com/ce7dc2ef-9f39-4d27-ac51-8b5484f1ec37?response-content-disposition=attachment%3B%20filename%2A%3DUTF-8%27%27S_1994_653-EN.pdf&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Expires=86400&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAXL7W7Q3XFWDGQKBB%2F20220808%2Feu-west-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Date=20220808T203834Z&X-Amz-Signature=43ed65cdbf97860aa0b1879c87a9c713da9cd23ec94035a340d94a6bb5a08595 |archive-date=8 August 2022}}</ref> Beginning 9 May, elder delegations from their respective clans, [[Habar Gidir|Habr Gidr]] and [[Majeerteen|Majerteen]], met.{{Sfn|Drysdale|1994|p=167}} While Aidid and Yusuf aimed for a central Somalia-focused conference, they clashed with UNOSOM, which aimed to include other regions and replace Aidid's chairmanship with [[Aden Adde|Abdullah Osman]], a staunch critic of Aidid.<ref name=":02" /> As the conference began, Aidid sought assistance from UNOSOM ambassador [[Lansana Kouyaté|Lansana Kouyate]], who proposed air transport and accommodation for delegates. However, he was recalled and replaced by [[April Glaspie]], following which UNOSOM retracted its offer. Aidid resorted to private aircraft to transport delegates. Following the incident, Aidid publicly rebuked the [[United Nations]] on [[Radio Mogadishu]] for interference in Somali internal affairs.{{Sfn|Drysdale|1994|p=167-168}}

Aidid invited Special Representative of the [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|Secretary-General]] for Somalia, Adm. [[Jonathan Howe|Johnathan Howe]] to open the conference, which was refused.<ref name=":02" /> The differences between Aidid and the UN proved to be to great, and the conference proceeded without the United Nations participation.<ref name=":02" /> On the 2 June 1993 the conference between Gen. Aidid and Col. [[Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed|Abdullahi Yusuf]] successfully concluded. Admiral [[Jonathan Howe|Howe]] would be invited to witness the peace agreement, but again declined.{{Sfn|Drysdale|1994|p=177}} The Galkacyo peace accord successfully ended large scale conflict in the [[Galguduud|Galgadud]] and [[Mudug]] regions of Somalia.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.oxfam.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/rr-somali-solutions-gender-justice.pdf |title=SOMALI SOLUTIONS: Creating conditions for a gender-just peace |publisher=[[Oxfam]] |year=2015}}</ref>

==== Conflict with American and UN forces ====
The contention between the Somali National Alliance and UNOSOM from this point forward would begin to manifest in anti-UNOSOM propaganda broadcast from SNA controlled [[Radio Mogadishu]].<ref name=":02" /> The broadcasts were viewed as a threat to the operation and that station was searched, sparking the 5 June 1993 battle and the start of UNOSOM II military operations against the Somali National Alliance.{{sfn|Drysdale|1994|pages=164–195}} The UNOSOM offensive had significant negative political consequences for the intervention as widely alienated the Somali people, strengthened political support for Aidid, and led to growing criticism of the operation internationally. As a result numerous UNOSOM II contingents began to increasingly push for a more conciliatory and diplomatic approach with the [[Somali National Alliance|SNA]].<ref name=":25">{{Cite book |last=Wheeler |first=Nicholas J. |url=https://academic.oup.com/book/276 |title=Saving Strangers: Humanitarian Intervention in International Society |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2002 |isbn=9780191600302 |chapter=From Famine Relief to ‘Humanitarian War’: The US and UN Intervention in Somalia}}</ref> Each major armed confrontation with between UNOSOM II forces and the SNA was noted to have the inadvertent effect of increasing Aidid's stature with the Somali public.<ref name=":82">{{Cite journal |last=Maren |first=Michael |date=1996 |title=Somalia: Whose Failure? |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/45317578 |journal=Current History |volume=95 |issue=601 |pages=201–205 |doi=10.1525/curh.1996.95.601.201 |issn=0011-3530 |jstor=45317578|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

After the October 1993 [[Battle of Mogadishu (1993)|Battle of Mogadishu]], US President [[Bill Clinton]] defended American policy in Somalia but admitted that it had been a mistake for American forces to be drawn into the decision to "personalize the conflict" to Aidid. He reappointed the former Special Envoy for Somalia [[Robert B. Oakley]] to signal the administrations return to focusing on political reconciliation.<ref name="hirsch">{{cite book |last1=Oakley |first1=Robert B. |title=Somalia and Operation Restore Hope: Reflections on Peacemaking and Peacekeeping |last2=Hirsch |first2=John L. |publisher=United States Institute of Press |year=1995 |isbn=978-1-878379-41-2 |pages=127–131 |authorlink=Robert B. Oakley}}</ref> According to U.S. Army [[Brigadier general|Brig. General]] Ed Wheeler, "Clinton finally realized Aidid was more than a merely the head of some equivalent Los Angeles street gang." Clinton signaled he was prepared to ignore the [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 837|UNSCR 837]] and include Aidid in talks for a peaceful settlement.{{Sfn|Wheeler|Roberts|2012|p=121}} The [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] flew Aidid to [[Addis Ababa]] on a military aircraft in December 1993 for peace talks. He arrived at the Mogadishu airport in an American armored vehicle guarded by American forces and his own Somali National Alliance before being flown to Ethiopia.<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":11" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=1993-12-03 |title=SOMALI CLAN LEADER ARRIVES IN ETHIOPIA FOR PEACE TALKS |url=https://www.deseret.com/1993/12/3/19079674/somali-clan-leader-arrives-in-ethiopia-for-peace-talks/ |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=Deseret News |language=en |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> Some of the US military units assigned to Aidid's security detail had lost soldiers in the Battle of Mogadishu.{{Sfn|Wheeler|Roberts|2012|p=141}} In early 1994 he attended the [[Pan-African Congress|Pan African Congress]] held in the Ugandan capital, [[Kampala]], where he was reportedly greeted with a [[standing ovation]].{{Sfn|Mohammed|1998|p=129}}  

After the cessation of hostilities between the SNA and UNOSOM, Special Representative [[Lansana Kouyaté|Lansana Kouyate]] (replacing Adm. [[Jonathan Howe|Johnathan Howe]]) successfully launched an initiative to normalize relations in March 1994. Numerous points of contention between the respective organizations were discussed at length and understandings were reached, facilitating the normalization of the relationship between the UN and the SNA.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://ucdpged.uu.se/peaceagreements/fulltext/Som%2019940324.pdf |title=FURTHER REPORT OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON THE UNITED NATIONS OPERATION IN SOMALIA SUBMITTED IN PURSUANCE OF PARAGRAPH 14 OF RESOLUTION 897 (1994) |date=24 May 1994 |publisher=United Nations |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404040304/https://ucdpged.uu.se/peaceagreements/fulltext/Som%2019940324.pdf |archive-date=2022-04-04}}</ref> That same year the UNOSOM forces began withdrawing, completing the process by 1995. The withdrawal of UNOSOM forces weakened Aidid's prominence within the SNA, as the war had served to unify the alliance around a common foreign enemy.<ref name=":42">{{Cite journal |last=Prendergast |first=John |date=June 1995 |title=When the troops go home: Somalia after the intervention |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03056249508704132 |url-status=live |journal=Review of African Political Economy |volume=22 |issue=64 |pages=268–273 |doi=10.1080/03056249508704132 |issn=0305-6244 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240522140116/https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.1080/03056249508704132 |archive-date=2024-05-22 |access-date=2023-04-04|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Presidency declaration==
Aidid subsequently declared himself President of Somalia in June 1995.<ref name=PRESIDENT-AIDIDS-SOMALIA>{{cite web|title=President Aidid's Somalia|url=http://www.h-net.org/~africa/confrpt/marcus.html|date=September 1995|access-date=4 February 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090716002145/http://www.h-net.org/~africa/confrpt/marcus.html|archive-date=16 July 2009}}</ref> However, his declaration received no international recognition, as his rival [[Ali Mahdi Muhammad]] had already been elected interim president at a conference in 1991 in [[Djibouti]] and recognized as such by the [[international community]].<ref>[https://circle.ubc.ca/bitstream/handle/2429/5267/ubc_1994-0415.pdf?sequence=1 Djibouti Conference] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316145832/https://circle.ubc.ca/bitstream/handle/2429/5267/ubc_1994-0415.pdf?sequence=1 |date=16 March 2012 }}.</ref>

==Death==  
On 24 July 1996, Aidid and his men clashed with the forces of former allies [[Ali Mahdi Muhammad]] and [[Osman Ali Atto]]. Atto was a former supporter and financier of Aidid, and of the same subclan. Atto is alleged to have masterminded the defeat of Aidid.<ref>''Indian Ocean Newsletter'', 27 April 1996 and cii''Indian Ocean Newsletter'', 4 May 1996</ref> Aidid suffered a gunshot wound in the ensuing battle. He later died from a heart attack on 2 August 1996, either during or after surgery to treat his injuries.<ref name=time>{{Citation  | last = Serrill  | first = Michael  | title = Dead by the Sword  | newspaper = Time Magazine  | date = 12 August 1996  | url = http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,7034,00.html  | access-date = 19 March 2011  | archive-date = 10 December 2015  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151210195233/http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,7034,00.html  | url-status = live  }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Jr |first=Donald G. McNeil |date=1996-08-03 |title=Somali Clan Leader Who Opposed U.S. Is Dead |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/08/03/world/somali-clan-leader-who-opposed-us-is-dead.html |access-date=2025-01-13 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==Family==
During the lead up to the civil war, Aidid's wife Khadiga Gurhan sought asylum in Canada in 1989, taking their four children with her. Local media shortly afterwards alleged that she had returned to Somalia for a five-month stay while still receiving welfare payments. Gurhan admitted in an interview to collecting welfare and having briefly travelled to Somalia in late 1991. However, it was later brought to light that she had been granted [[landed immigrant]] status in June 1991, thereby making her a legal resident of Canada. Additionally, Aidid's rival, Barre, had been overthrown in January of that year. This altogether ensured that Gurhan's five-month trip would not have undermined her initial 1989 claim of refugee status. An official probe by Canadian immigration officials into the allegations also concluded that she had obtained her landing papers through normal legal processes.<ref>{{cite news|last=Anderson|first=Scott|title=Tory probe into warlord's wife too late to save Lewis|url=http://contests.eyeweekly.com/eye/issue/issue_11.04.93/NEWS/med1104.php|access-date=18 February 2013|newspaper=Eye Weekly|date=4 November 1993|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028230350/http://contests.eyeweekly.com/eye/issue/issue_11.04.93/NEWS/med1104.php|archive-date=28 October 2014}}</ref>

[[Hussein Farrah Aidid|Hussein Mohamed Farrah]], son of Aidid, emigrated to the United States when he was 17 years old. Staying 16 years in the country, he eventually became a [[naturalized citizen]] and later a [[United States Marine]] who served in Somalia. Two days after his father's death, the [[Somali National Alliance]] declared Farrah as the new president, although he too was not internationally recognised.<ref>{{cite news|first =Ron|last =Kampeas|title =From Marine to warlord: The strange journey of Hussein Farrah Aidid|url =http://www.boston.com/news/daily/11/somali_warlord.htm|publisher =Associated Press|date =2 November 2002|access-date =28 February 2007|archive-date =22 February 2014|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140222014203/http://www.boston.com/news/daily/11/somali_warlord.htm|url-status =live}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*Bowden, Mark. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110210191125/http://inquirer.philly.com/packages/somalia/ Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War]. Berkeley, California: ''Atlantic Monthly Press''. March 1999.
* {{Cite book |last=Drysdale |first=John |author-link=John Drysdale (historian) |url=https://archive.org/details/whateverhappened0000drys |title=Whatever Happened to Somalia? A Tale of Tragic Blunders |publisher=HAAN |year=1994 |isbn=1-874209-51-0 |location=London |oclc=30736422}}
*Lutz, David. Hannover Institute of Philosophical Research. [https://web.archive.org/web/20000823015753/http://www.usafa.af.mil/jscope/JSCOPE00/Lutz00.html The Ethics of American Military Policy in Africa] (research paper). Front Royal, Virginia: ''Joint Services Conference on Professional Ethics'' (2000)
*McKinley, James. 'How a U.S. Marine Became a Warlord in Somalia'. New York: ''The New York Times'', 16 August 1996.
* {{Cite book |last=Peterson |first=Scott |author-link=Scott Peterson (writer) |url=https://archive.org/details/meagainstmybroth0000pete |title=Me Against My Brother: At War in Somalia, Sudan, and Rwanda: A Journalist Reports From the Battlefields of Africa |date=2000 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=9780415921985 |location=New York |oclc=43287853}}
* {{Cite book |last=Mohammed |first=Mousa Sheikh |title=Recolonization beyond Somalia |year=1998 |location=Somalia |oclc=499185551}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Wheeler |first1=BG. Ed |title=Doorway To Hell: Disaster in Somalia |last2=Roberts |first2=LTC. Craig |publisher=Frontline Books |year=2012 |isbn=9781848326804 |location=London |oclc=1224042096}}
*{{cite news
 |title       = Somali faction leader Aidid dies
 |date        = 2 August 1996
|publisher   = CNN
 |url         = http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9608/02/aideed/
 |url-status  = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20060310232123/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9608/02/aideed/
 |archive-date = 10 March 2006
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aidid, Mohammed Farah}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:1996 deaths]]
[[Category:Battle of Mogadishu (1993)]]
[[Category:Frunze Military Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Somali National Alliance politicians]]
[[Category:Somalian faction leaders]]
[[Category:Somalian generals]]
[[Category:United Somali Congress politicians]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Somalia to India]]