Somali Democratic Republic

1969–1991 socialist state in the Horn of Africa

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Somali Democratic Republic

Jamhuuriyadda Dimuqraadiga Soomaaliyeed
الجمهورية الديمقراطية الصومالية
al-Jumhūrīyah ad-Dīmuqrāṭīyah aṣ-Ṣūmālīyed
Repubblica Democratica Somala

1969–1991

Flag

Coat of arms

Capital| Mogadishu
Official languages| Somali
Common languages|

* Somali
* Arabic
* English
* Italian

Religion

| Sunni Islam
Demonym(s)| Somali
Government| Marxist-Leninist state
President|

• 1969–1991

| Siad Barrea
Vice President|

• 1976–1991

| Mohammad Ali Samatar
Historical era| Cold War
Arab Cold War

• Somali coup d'état

| 21 October 1969

• Ogaden War

| 13 July 1977

• Somali Rebellion

| 10 March 1978

• Somali Civil War

| 26 January 1991
Area

• Total

| 637,657[1] km2 (246,201 sq mi) (40th)
Population

• 1972[2]

| 2,941,000
Currency| Somali shilling[3] (SOS)
Calling code| 252
ISO 3166 code| SO

Preceded by | Succeeded by

|

|  | Somali Republic

|

| Interim Government of Somalia |

|

Republic of Somaliland |
Today part of| Somalia
Somalilandb

1. Chairman of the Supreme Revolutionary Council from 1969 to 1976 and after 1980.
2. Somaliland is not internationally recognized. Its territory is considered part of Somalia. Somaliland authorities, however, hold de facto power in the region.

|  | This article is part of a series about
Siad Barre

|

* SRSP
* 1986

* * *

President of Somalia
(1969–1991)

* 1969 Somali coup d'état
* Somali Democratic Republic
* Supreme Revolutionary Council
* Somali Latin alphabet
* Ogaden War
* Western Somali Liberation Front
* National Security Service

* * *

Overthrow

* 1982 Ethiopian–Somali Border War
* Somali Rebellion
* Somaliland War of Independence
* Isaaq genocide

* v
* t
* e

The Somali Democratic Republic (Somali: Jamhuuriyadda Dimuqraadiga Soomaaliyeed; Arabic: الجمهورية الديمقراطية الصومالية (al-Jumhūriyyah ad-Dīmuqrāṭiyyah aṣ-Ṣūmāliyyah), Italian: Democratica Somala) was a socialist state in Somalia that existed from 1969 to 1991.

Established in October 1969, the Somali Democratic Republic emerged following a coup d'état led by Major General Mohamed Siyaad Barre and the Somali military.[4][5][6][7] The coup took place six days after the assassination of Abdirashid Shermarke, the second President of the Somali Republic.[6] Barre's administration governed Somalia for the next 21 years until the rise of Ethiopian-backed Somali rebel groups, which ultimately led to the government's collapse and the onset of civil war in 1991.[8]

## History

[edit]

Part of a series on the

History of Somalia

Prehistory

* Laas Geel (3,500-2,500 BCE )
* Land of Punt (2,500–1,500 BCE)

Ancient

* Macrobians
* Ancient Somali City-States (c. 1st century)
* Azania city-states

(c. 1st century)

Middle Ages

* Sultanate of Ifat (940–1415)
* Adal Sultanate (1415–1577)
* Ajuran Sultanate (13th–17th c.)
* Sultanate of Mogadishu (13th–16th c.)

Early modern

* Sultanate of the Geledi (17th–1911)
* Isaaq Sultanate (1750–1884)
* Habr Yunis Sultanate (1769–1907)
* Hiraab Imamate (17th–1890)
* Khedivate's Somali Coast (1874–1884)
* Majeerteen Sultanate (18th–1924)
* Sultanate of Hobyo (1876–1926)

Colonial period
(1884-1960)

* Italian Somaliland (1889–1941)
* British Somaliland (1888–1960)
* Dervish State (1895–1920)
* Trust Territory (1941–1960)

Modern Somalia
(since 1960)

* Somali Republic (1960-1969)
* Mohamed Siad Barre regime (1969–1991)
* Somaliland independence (1981–1991)
* Interim Government (1991–1997)
* Transitional National Government (2000–2004)
* Transitional Federal Government (2004–2012)
* Federal Government (2012–)

Somalia portal

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### Coup d'etat

[edit]

Abdirashid Shermarke, the 2nd president of Somalia, was assassinated outside the municipal headquarters of Las Anod in Northern Somalia on 15 October 1969. Shermarke had been visiting drought-stricken areas in the northeast when the assassin, Said Yusuf Ismail, shot and killed him.[9]

Henry Kissinger, then United States National Security Advisor, concluded that the assassin acted independently.[10] Sharmarke was elected in 1964 with support from the Soviet Union and other communist states during his campaign.[11]

On 21 October 1969, at 3:00 a.m., General Siyaad and the military overthrew the parliamentary government. One of the primary causes of the coup was widespread corruption and mishandling of public funds within the Somali government. Consequently, many members of the police and armed forces had become disillusioned with the direction of the country.[12]

The assassin, Ismail, was tried, tortured, and executed by the Supreme Revolutionary Council. Notably, Ismail shared the same clan background as President Shermarke.[13]

### Early years

[edit]

The Supreme Revolutionary Council (SRC), which came to power following President Shermarke's assassination, was led by Lieutenant General Salaad Gabeyre Kediye and Chief of Police Jama Ali Korshel. Kediye held the official title of "Father of the Revolution", and shortly thereafter, Barre became the head of the SRC.[14] The SRC arrested members of the former civilian government, banned political parties, dissolved the National Assembly, and suspended the constitution.[15][3]

The revolutionary army initiated large-scale public works programs and successfully implemented an urban and rural literacy campaign, significantly increasing the literacy rate. In addition to a nationalization program for industry and land, the new regime's foreign policy emphasized Somalia's traditional and religious ties with the Arab world, leading to its membership in the Arab League (AL) in 1974.[16] That same year, Barre also served as chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the predecessor of the African Union (AU).[17]

In July 1976, Barre's SRC disbanded and established the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (SRSP) as a one-party government based on scientific socialism and Islamic principles. The SRSP aimed to reconcile the official state ideology with the official state religion, emphasizing Muslim principles of social progress, equality, and justice. The government argued that these principles formed the core of scientific socialism, along with a focus on self-sufficiency, public participation, popular control, and direct ownership of the means of production. While the SRSP encouraged limited private investment, the administration's overall direction was proclaimed as socialist.[3]

## Ogaden campaign

[edit]

Main article: Ogaden War

On 13 July 1977, the Ogaden War against Ethiopia erupted when Barre's government aimed to annex the predominantly Somali-inhabited Ogaden region into a Pan-Somali Greater Somalia. This conflict was part of a broader SNA initiative to unify all Somali territories, known as Soomaaliweyn. In the first week of the war, the Somali National Army achieved remarkable victories over Ethiopian forces, surprising many American military observers who maintained a neutral stance. Southern and central Ogaden were quickly captured, and throughout much of the conflict, the Somali Army continued to defeat the Ethiopian Army, advancing as far as Sidamo. By September 1977, Somalia controlled 90% of the Ogaden, capturing strategic cities like Jijiga and exerting heavy pressure on Dire Dawa, thereby threatening the train route from that city to Djibouti.

Following the siege of Harar, a massive and unprecedented Soviet intervention occurred, involving 20,000 Cuban troops and several thousand Soviet advisers supporting Ethiopia's communist Derg regime. On 15 March 1978, a ceasefire was negotiated, bringing an end to the war. This shift in Soviet support prompted the Barre government to seek new allies, eventually turning to the United States, which had been courting Somalia for some time as a counter to Soviet influence. Ultimately, Somalia's initial alliance with the Soviet Union and subsequent partnership with the United States enabled it to build the largest army in Africa.[18]

## New constitution

[edit]

A new Constitution was ratified on 25 August 1979 through a popular referendum, leading to elections for a People's Assembly. This Constitution established a presidential system, wherein the president served as both the head of state and the head of government. As head of government, the president appointed the members of the Council of Ministers, which he chaired. Initially, the Constitution stipulated that the president would be elected for a six-year renewable term by a two-thirds majority vote of the legislature.[19]

## Decline

[edit]

Main article: Somali Civil War

After the failed Ogaden campaign, Barre's administration began arresting government and military officials suspected of involvement in the 1978 coup attempt.[20][21] Most of those believed to have participated in the plot were executed without trial.[22] However, several officials managed to escape abroad and began forming various dissident groups aimed at forcibly removing Barre's regime.[23]

In 1979, a new constitution was introduced, leading to elections for a People's Assembly. Despite this, Barre's Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (SRSP) continued to maintain control.[5] In October 1980, the SRSP was disbanded, and the Supreme Revolutionary Council was re-established in its place.[3] By this time, Barre's government had become increasingly unpopular, and many Somalis were disillusioned with life under military dictatorship. The regime weakened further in the 80's as the Cold War drew to a close, diminishing Somalia's strategic importance.

The government's totalitarian grip[24][25] culminated in the Isaaq genocide (1987–1988), which devastated several major cities and targeted members of the Isaaq clan. Civilian death estimates range from 50,000 to 100,000[26][27][28] up to over 200,000.[29] These brutal tactics sparked resistance movements, supported by Ethiopia, that emerged across the country and eventually led to the Somali Civil War. Among these militia groups were the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF), the United Somali Congress (USC), the Somali National Movement (SNM), and the Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM), alongside non-violent political opposition such as the Somali Democratic Movement (SDM), the Somali Democratic Alliance (SDA) and the Somali Manifesto Group (SMG).[citation needed]

On 26 January 1991, Barre was ousted from power, and Somalia subsequently descended into chaos.[citation needed]

## Government

[edit]

The Somali Democratic Republic functioned as a unitary republic under the Marxist-Leninist single-party rule of first the Supreme Revolutionary Council, then the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party.[30] Siad Barre, as president, exercised totalitarian control through a military dictatorship.[31][32][33]

### President

[edit]

* Mohamed Siyaad Barre (October 21, 1969 - January 26, 1991)

### Prime Ministers

[edit]

* Mohamed Farah Salad (November 1, 1969 - March 1970)
* Post abolished (March 1970 - February 1, 1987)
* Muhammad Ali Samatar (February 1, 1987 - September 3, 1990)
* Muhammad Hawadle Madar (September 3, 1990 - January 24, 1991)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The 1991 CIA World Factbook" - via Internet Archive.
2. ^ Census, United States Bureau of the (December 23, 1980). "World Population 1979: Recent Demographic Estimates for the Countries and Regions of the World". The Bureau - via Google Books.
3. ^ a b c d Lynch, Barry (1982). "The Somali Democratic Republic. The One That Got Away". In Wiles, Peter (ed.). The New Communist Third World: An Essay in Political Economy. Croom Helm. pp. 278–279\. ISBN 0-7099-2709-6.278-279&rft.pub=Croom+Helm&rft.date=1982&rft.isbn=0-7099-2709-6&rft.aulast=Lynch&rft.aufirst=Barry&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Somali+Democratic+Republic" class="Z3988">
4. ^ Clapham, Christopher (1984). "The Horn of Africa". In Crowder, Michael (ed.). The Cambridge History of Africa. Vol. 8: From c. 1940 to c. 1975. Cambridge University Press. p. 475.
5. ^ a b The Encyclopedia Americana. Vol. 25: Skin to Sumac. Grolier. 2001. p. 214. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
6. ^ a b Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations. Vol. 2: Africa. Gale Research. 1995. p. 368. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
7. ^ Permanent Mission of the Somali Republic to the United Nations. "Country Facts | Somalia". www.un.int. United Nations. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
8. ^ Cordesman, Anthony H. (2019). The Gulf And The Search For Strategic Stability. Taylor & Francis. p. 797\. ISBN 9781000302066.
9. ^ Ingiriis, Mohamed Haji (April–June 2017). "Who Assassinated the Somali President in October 1969? The Cold War, the Clan Connection, or the Coup d'État". African Security. 10 (2). Taylor & Francis: 131–132\. doi:10.1080/19392206.2017.1305861. JSTOR 48598936.131-132&rft.date=2017-04/2017-06&rft_id=info:doi/10.1080/19392206.2017.1305861&rft_id=https://www.jstor.org/stable/48598936#id-name=JSTOR&rft.aulast=Ingiriis&rft.aufirst=Mohamed+Haji&rft_id=https://www.jstor.org/stable/48598936&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Somali+Democratic+Republic" class="Z3988">
10. ^ Kissinger, Henry (20 October 1969). Political Implication of Assassination of Somali President (PDF) (memorandum). Retrieved 4 February 2025.
11. ^ Central Intelligence Bulletin (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. 12 June 1967. p. 6. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
12. ^ L. Daniels, Christopher (2012). Somali Piracy and Terrorism in the Horn of Africa. Scarecrow Press. p. 11\. ISBN 9780810883109. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
13. ^ Adan Sheikh, Mohamed (1991). Arrivederci a Mogadiscio (in Italian). Edizioni associate. p. 76\. ISBN 9788826700700.
14. ^ Adam, Hussein Mohamed; Richard Ford (1997). Mending rips in the sky: options for Somali communities in the 21st century. Red Sea Press. p. 226\. ISBN 1-56902-073-6.
15. ^ Metz, Helen Chapin, ed. (1993). Somalia: A Country Study. Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. pp. 36–37\. LCCN 93016246. Retrieved 10 February 2025.36-37&rft.pub=Federal+Research+Division,+Library+of+Congress&rft.date=1993&rft_id=info:lccn/93016246&rft_id=https://www.loc.gov/item/93016246/&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Somali+Democratic+Republic" class="Z3988">
16. ^ Frankel, Benjamin, ed. (1992). The Cold War 1945-1991. Vol. 2: Leaders and Other Important Figures in the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, China, and the Third World. Gale Research. p. 306. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
17. ^ Oihe Yang, Africa South of the Sahara 2001, 30th ed. (Taylor and Francis: 2000), p. 1025.
18. ^ Oliver Ramsbotham, Tom Woodhouse, Encyclopedia of International Peacekeeping Operations, (ABC-CLIO: 1999), p. 222. [ISBN missing]
19. ^ "Somalia". Mongabay.com. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
20. ^ ARR: Arab report and record, (Economic Features, ltd.: 1978), p. 602.
21. ^ Ahmed III, Abdul. "Brothers in Arms Part I" (PDF). WardheerNews. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 3, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
22. ^ New People Media Centre, New people, Issues 94–105, (New People Media Centre: Comboni Missionaries, 2005).
23. ^ Nina J. Fitzgerald, Somalia: issues, history, and bibliography, (Nova Publishers: 2002), p. 25.
24. ^ Prunier, Gérard (1996-01-01). "Somalia: Civil War, Intervention and Withdrawal (1990–1995)". Refugee Survey Quarterly. 15 (1): 35–85\. doi:10.1093/rsq/15.1.35. ISSN 1020-4067.35-85&rft.date=1996-01-01&rft_id=info:doi/10.1093/rsq/15.1.35&rft.issn=1020-4067&rft.aulast=Prunier&rft.aufirst=Gérard&rft_id=https://academic.oup.com/rsq/article/15/1/35/1580140&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Somali+Democratic+Republic" class="Z3988">
25. ^ "Somalia's Descent into Mobocracy". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
26. ^ Peifer, Douglas C. (2009). Stopping Mass Killings in Africa: Genocide, Airpower, and Intervention. Diane Publishing. ISBN 9781437912814.
27. ^ Straus, Scott (2015). Making and Unmaking Nations: The Origins and Dynamics of Genocide in Contemporary Africa. Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801455674.
28. ^ Jones, Adam (2017). Genocide, war crimes and the West: history and complicity. Zed Books. ISBN 9781842771914.
29. ^ Reinl, James (6 February 2014). "Somaliland massacre". www.aljazeera.com.
30. ^ "AFRICAN MARXIST MILITARY REGIMES, RISE AND FALL: INTERNAL CONDITIONERS AND INTERNATIONAL DIMENSIONS". seer.ufrgs.br/rbea/article/download/97061/58862. Brazilian Journal of African Studies. 2020. Retrieved 2025-03-08. "[…] Military Coups of a new type, which introduced revolutionary regimes self-declared Marxist-Leninist. This is the case of Somalia (1969) and Ethiopia (1974), the most emblematic case, but also of four french-speaking countries: Congo-Brazzaville (1968), Daomey/Benin (1972-74), Madagascar (1975) and Alto Volta/Burkina Faso (1983)."`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
31. ^ Khalif, Abdulkadir (2024-10-26). "Somalia tortuous and elusive long road to true democracy". Theeastafrican. The East African. Retrieved 2025-02-10. "In January 1991, Siad Barre's totalitarian rule was defeated. But, rather than uniting his enemies, it worsened the crisis."
32. ^ "A STUDY OF DECENTRALIZED POLITICAL STRUCTURES FOR SOMALIA*: A MENU OF OPTIONS" (PDF). Peacemake.un.org. London School of Economics and Political Science. August 1995. Retrieved 2025-02-10. "In October 1969, General Mohamed Siad Barre took over in a military coup. Siad Barre developed a highly centralised, totalitarian state, and tried unsuccessfully to abolish clan behaviour."
33. ^ "AFRICAN MARXIST MILITARY REGIMES, RISE AND FALL: INTERNAL CONDITIONERS AND INTERNATIONAL DIMENSIONS". Brazilian Journal of African Studies. 2020. Retrieved 2025-03-05. "In contrast to Angola and Mozambique, where the Marxist component was associated with National Liberation Movements, those in Ethiopia and Somalia, as well as the four Francophone States, had Marxist Military Revolutions/Regimes after more than a decade of independence."

## Further reading

[edit]

* la Fosse Wiles, Peter John de (1982). The New Communist Third World: An Essay in Political Economy. Taylor & Francis. p. 392\. ISBN 0-7099-2709-6.

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Somalia articles

History|

| Chronology|

* Laas Geel
* Land of Punt
* Walashma dynasty
* Adal Sultanate
* Ajuran Empire
* Sultanate of the Geledi
* Isaaq Sultanate
* Majeerteen Sultanate
* Sultanate of Hobyo
* Warsangali Sultanate
* Dervish movement
* Italian Somaliland
* Colonial governors
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* Trust Territory of Somaliland
* Ogaden War
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* Isaaq genocide
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* (2009–present)

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