Siad Barre

Mohamed Siad Barre (Somali: Maxamed Siyaad Barre) (1919/1921?, Ganane, Italian Somalia – January 2, 1995, Lagos, Nigeria) was the self-proclaimed socialist president of Somalia from 1969 to 1991. Prior to his presidency he was an army commander under the parliamentary government Somalia had inherited from their former Italian colonial government.

Barre became an advocate of Soviet style Marxist government after spending time with Soviet officers in joint training exercises in the early 1960s.

In 1969, during the power vacuum following the assassination of President Abdirashid Ali Shermarke, the military staged a coup and took over. Barre ruled with an iron fist for the next 22 years. As well, he attempted to develop a personality cult; giant posters of him were common in the capital Mogadishu during his reign, many of which can still be seen today. He was finally unseated on the evening 26 January 1991. At that time the country completely fell apart and no amount of political control was possible at all. However, he was succeded by Ali Mahdi Muhammad till November 1991.

As of 2005, Somalia has had no real national leader nor any effective national government since Siad Barre was deposed in 1991. Barre went into exile to Kenya, later he settled in Nigeria.