The Somali Democratic Republic (Somali: Jamhuuriyadda Dimuqraadiya Soomaaliyeed; Arabic: الجمهورية الديمقراطية الصومالية, al-Jumhūriyyah ad-Dīmuqrāṭiyyah aṣ-Ṣūmāliyyah) was a socialist state in Somalia that existed from 1969 to 1991.
Established in October 1969, the Somali Democratic Republic emerged as a socialistone-party state following a coup d'état led by Major General Mohamed Siyaad Barre and the Somali military.[5][6][7][8] This coup occurred just six days after the assassination of Abdirashid Shermarke, the second President of the Somali Republic, by a bodyguard.[7] 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.[9]
Coup d'etat
On 15 October, while President Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke was touring the drought-stricken area of Laascaanood, he was shot and killed by his personal bodyguard. Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger concluded that the bodyguard acted independently.[10] President Sharmarke had come to power in 1964 with support from the Soviet Union and other communist states during his election.[11]
On the 21st of October 1969, at 3:00 a.m., General Siyaad and the military overthrew the nine-year-old parliamentary government. Modern political analysts assert that one of the major factors contributing to the coup was the rampant corruption that prevailed at the time.[12]
President Shermarke's bodyguard was tried, tortured, and executed by the Supreme Revolutionary Council. Notably, the assassin shared the same clan background as President Shermarke.[13]
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,[15] dissolved the parliament and the Supreme Court, and suspended the constitution.[16]
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.[17] That same year, Barre also served as chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the predecessor of the African Union (AU).[18]
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.[16]
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.[19]
New Constitution
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.[20]
After the failed Ogaden campaign, Barre's administration began arresting government and military officials suspected of involvement in the 1978 coup attempt.[21][22] Most of those believed to have participated in the plot were executed without trial.[23] However, several officials managed to escape abroad and began forming various dissident groups aimed at forcibly removing Barre's regime.[24]
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.[6] In October 1980, the SRSP was disbanded, and the Supreme Revolutionary Council was re-established in its place.[16] 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.
^ abcPeter John de la Fosse Wiles, The New Communist Third World: an essay in political economy, (Taylor & Francis: 1982), p.279.
^Benjamin Frankel, The Cold War, 1945-1991: Leaders and other important figures in the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, China, and the Third World (Gale Research: 1992), p.306.
^Oihe Yang, Africa South of the Sahara 2001, 30th Ed. (Taylor and Francis: 2000), p.1025.
^Oliver Ramsbotham, Tom Woodhouse, Encyclopedia of international peacekeeping operations, (ABC-CLIO: 1999), p.222.
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