Mohammed, Ali Mahdi

Ali Mahdi Mohammed (born 1939 ) is a Somali military, political and state leader, one of the leaders of the sub-clan Abgal . Interim President of Somalia ^[1] . Co-Chairman of the National Rescue Council.

In the 1980s Ali Mahdi Mohammed spoke out against the regime of Mohammed Siad Barre. In early 1991, the rebels routed the remnants of Siad Barre’s army from Mogadishu . Soon, the United Somali Congress (ACS) appointed Ali Mahdi Mohammed as interim president of the country for a period of two years and invited all other anti-government groups to jointly discuss the formation of a new government. However, after this, inter-clan contradictions began in the country, which resulted in a full-scale civil war.

In November, the chairman of the ACS, General Mohammed Farah Aidid , who belonged to the Khabar Gedir tribal group, part of the Javiyya clan, attempted to overthrow President Ali Mahdi Mohammed. The coup failed, but after that a sharp struggle began between them, which continued during the UN operations “Revival of Hope” and “Continuation of Hope” . After the final withdrawal of peacekeeping forces from Somalia, Ali Mahdi Mohammed and Mohammed Farah Aidid agreed to cease hostilities, liquidate police control posts, etc. But the war broke out with a new force.

In 1995, Mohammed Farah Aidid proclaimed himself President of Somalia. A year later, he died in one of the battles near Mogadishu. Aidid's son Hussein became the new leader of the ACS. On October 16, 1996, with the mediation of the president of neighboring Kenya, Daniel Arap Moi, the first meeting took place between Ali Mahdi Mohammed and Hussein Aidid, during which a verbal cease-fire agreement was reached. However, the fighting soon resumed. On March 30, Ali Mahdi and Hussein Aidid agreed to form a joint administration to manage Mogadishu.