Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed (15 December 1934-23 March 2012) was President of Puntland from 1 August 1998 to 14 October 2004 (preceding Mohamed Abdi Hashi) and President of Somalia from 14 October 2004 to 29 December 2008 (succeeding Abdiqasim Salad and preceding Aden Madobe).
Biography[]
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed was born in Galkayo, Italian Somaliland in 1934, and he studied at the Frunze Military Academy in the USSR before serving in the Somali National Army. From 1965 to 1968, he served as Somalia's military attaché to Moscow, but he refused to support Siad Barre's Marxist dictatorship and was imprisoned for several years. He was released in 1975 and commanded the SNA's Southern Front during the Ogaden War, being decorated for his courage. In 1978, he participated in a failed coup against Siad Barre, forcing him to flee to Ethiopia, where he founded the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF). During the Somali Civil War, he became President of Puntland, taking Bosaso from al-Itihaad al-Islamiya in 1992. He also served as President of Somalia from 2004 to 2008, promoting reconciliation and reconstruction. He secured Ethiopian aid against al-Shabaab during the late 2000s, and he survived a suicide car bombing attempt on 17 September 2006. In 2008, he dismissed his government and resigned due to his failure to restore order, also criticizing the international community for failing to intervene.