Ismail Ali Abokor ( so, Ismaaciil Cali Abokor) was a Somali Politician and Major General. A senior member of the
Supreme Revolutionary Council, He also served as
Vice President of Somalia
The vice president of Somalia is a former political position in Somali Democratic Republic. The vice presidents were appointed on the discretion of the president of Somalia, Mohamed Siad Barre.
A history of the office holder follows.https://www.c ...
in the era of
Siad Barre between 1971 and 1982. He was also a Speaker of parliament 1979 – 1982.
Early life and education
Abokor was born in 1937 in
Burao
Burao, also spelt Bur'o or Bur'ao (; so, Burco, , ar, ุจุฑุนู) is the capital of the Togdheer region and the second largest city in Somaliland. Burao was also the third largest city of Somalia. Burao was the site of the declaration of an in ...
, now
Somaliland. After completing his secondary education, he traveled to
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
for military training. He graduated from the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Career
Early career
Ismail Ali Abokor returned to the
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐; ar, ุงูุตูู
ุงู, aแนฃ-แนขลซmฤl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
in 1960 as one of the first officers to train for
British Somaliland. In 1961, Ismail Ali Obokor became deputy commander of the officers training school.
In 1962, he served as the head of the
Somali National Army
The Somali National Army ( Somali: ''Xooga Dalka Soomaaliyeed,'' lit. ''"Somali Ground Forces"'') is the ground forces component of the Somali Armed Forces, and is the largest out of the three service branches that make up the majority of the A ...
Barue, and in 1963 was named as a deputy commander of a battalion stationed in
Kismayo
Kismayo ( so, Kismaayo, Maay: ''Kismanyy'', ar, ููุณู
ุงูู, ; it, Chisimaio) is a port city in the southern Lower Juba (Jubbada Hoose) province of Somalia. It is the commercial capital of the autonomous Jubaland region.
The city is situa ...
.
In 1965, he trained in
Mogadishu
Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, ู
ูุฏูุดู ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Oc ...
, and after that he was appointed as a commander of a battalion in
Kismayo
Kismayo ( so, Kismaayo, Maay: ''Kismanyy'', ar, ููุณู
ุงูู, ; it, Chisimaio) is a port city in the southern Lower Juba (Jubbada Hoose) province of Somalia. It is the commercial capital of the autonomous Jubaland region.
The city is situa ...
, and was promoted to a rank of lieutenant.
In 1967 he became Chief of trainers at Halane training school, known as "Bootiko".
Somali Democratic Republic
Ismail Ali Abukar served in the
Somali National Army
The Somali National Army ( Somali: ''Xooga Dalka Soomaaliyeed,'' lit. ''"Somali Ground Forces"'') is the ground forces component of the Somali Armed Forces, and is the largest out of the three service branches that make up the majority of the A ...
. In the rank of lieutenant colonel participated in the coup d'รฉtat of October 21, 1969, which led to the rule of General
Mohammed Siad Barre
Mohamed Siad Barre ( so, Maxamed Siyaad Barre, Osmanya script: ; ar, ู
ุญู
ุฏ ุณูุงุฏ ุจุฑู; c. 1910 โ 2 January 1995) was a Somali head of state and general who served as the 3rd president of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969 to 199 ...
, and became a member of the
Supreme Revolutionary Council of the
Somali Democratic Republic
The Somali Democratic Republic ( so, Jamhuuriyadda Dimuqraadiya Soomaaliyeed; ar, ุงูุฌู
ููุฑูุฉ ุงูุฏูู
ูุฑุงุทูุฉ ุงูุตูู
ุงููุฉ, ; it, Repubblica Democratica Somala) was the name that the socialist military government gave to Som ...
.
He held the post of one of the vice-presidents of the
Somali Democratic Republic
The Somali Democratic Republic ( so, Jamhuuriyadda Dimuqraadiya Soomaaliyeed; ar, ุงูุฌู
ููุฑูุฉ ุงูุฏูู
ูุฑุงุทูุฉ ุงูุตูู
ุงููุฉ, ; it, Repubblica Democratica Somala) was the name that the socialist military government gave to Som ...
, received the rank of colonel.
In November 1971 he visited the
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
. He was one of the key figures of the regime of
Siad Barre, he held the rank of brigadier general and in 1971 he was appointed the Vice President of Somalia. Since July 1976 (from the date of founding the party) he became a member of the Central Committee and a member of the Politburo of the
Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party
The Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (SRSP), , it, Partito Socialista Rivoluzionario Somalo was the ruling party of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1976 to 1991.
History
SRSP was created by the military regime of Siad Barre under S ...
.
Defection
After falling out with Barre, he was imprisoned in 1982 and subsequently released in 1988, after which he defected to the
Somali National Movement
The Somali National Movement ( so, Dhaqdhaqaaqa Wadaniga Soomaaliyeed, ar, ุงูุญุฑูุฉ ุงููุทููุฉ ุงูุตูู
ุงููุฉ) was one of the first and most important organized guerilla groups opposed to the Siad Barre regime in the 1980s to the 19 ...
based in what was then northern Somalia.
References
1937 births
Living people
Vice presidents of Somalia
Speakers of the Parliament of Somalia
Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party politicians
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