Salaad Gabeyre Kediye ( so, Salaad Gabeyre Kediye, 1933 – 3 July 1972), also known as Salah Gaveire Kedie, was a Somali senior military official and a revolutionary who was executed by the Siad Barre regime.

Biography

Kediye was born in Harardhere, Somalia, at the time an Italian colony. A career army man, he received military training at the

Frunze Military Academy The M. V. Frunze Military Academy (russian: Военная академия имени М. В. Фрунзе), or in full the Military Order of Lenin and the October Revolution, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Academy in the name of M. V. Frunze (rus ...

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

(Военная академия им М. В. Фрунзе), an elite

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

institution reserved for the most qualified officers of the

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republic ...

armies and their allies. He later rose to the rank of

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

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 ...

(SNA).Andrew, p.448 On October 15, 1969, while paying a visit to the northern town of

Las Anod Las Anod ( so, Laascaanood; ar, لاسعانود) is the administrative capital of the Sool region of Somaliland. Territorial dispute The city is disputed by Puntland and Somaliland. The former bases its claim due to the kinship ties between ...

, Somalia's then President

Abdirashid Ali Shermarke Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke ( so, Cabdirashiid Cali Sharmaarke, ar, عبد الرشيد علي شارماركي) (8 June 1919 – 15 October 1969), also known as Abdirashid Shermarke, was Prime Minister of Somali Republic from 12 July 1960, to 14 J ...

was shot dead by one of his own bodyguards. His assassination was quickly followed by a military coup d'état on October 21, 1969 (the day after his funeral), in which the SNA seized power without encountering armed opposition — essentially a bloodless takeover. The putsch was spearheaded by Major General

Mohamed Siad Barre Mohamed Siad Barre ( so, Maxamed Siyaad Barre, Osmanya script: ; ar, محمد سياد بري; c. 1910 – 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 ...

, who at the time commanded the army.Moshe Y. Sachs, ''Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations'', Volume 2, (Worldmark Press: 1988), p.290.Lipschutz, pp.285-286 Alongside Barre, the Supreme Revolutionary Council (SRC) that assumed power after President Sharmarke's assassination was claimed to be led by Gen. Kediye and Chief of Police

Jama Korshel Jama Ali Korshel ( so, Jaamac Cali Qoorsheel, ar, جامع علي قورشيل) was a Somali army Major General and former Head of the Somali Police Force. He was the Vice President of the Supreme Revolutionary Council. Biography Korshel was b ...

. Kediye officially held the title of "Father of the Revolution," and Barre shortly afterwards became the head of the SRC.Adam, p.226 The SRC subsequently renamed the country the

Somali Democratic Republic The Somali Democratic Republic ( so, Jamhuuriyadda Dimuqraadiya Soomaaliyeed; ar, الجمهورية الديمقراطية الصومالية, ; it, Repubblica Democratica Somala) was the name that the socialist military government gave to Som ...

,J. D. Fage, Roland Anthony Oliver, ''The Cambridge history of Africa'', Volume 8, (Cambridge University Press: 1985), p.478.''The Encyclopedia Americana: complete in thirty volumes. Skin to Sumac'', Volume 25, (Grolier: 1995), p.214. arrested members of the former civilian government, banned political parties,. dissolved the parliament and the Supreme Court, and suspended the constitution.Peter John de la Fosse Wiles, ''The New Communist Third World: an essay in political economy'', (Taylor & Francis: 1982), p.279. A power struggle eventually ensued at the SRC's leadership. In 1971, Kediye and then Vice President Muhammad Ainache were charged with attempting to assassinate President Barre. Both men were shortly afterwards found guilty of treason, and along with Colonel

Abdulkadir Dheel Abdulkadir Dheel ( so, Cabdulqaadir Dheel, ar, عبد القادر ديل) (d. 3 July 1972) was a prominent Somali military figure. Career A Colonel in the Somali National Army (SNA), Abdulkadir Dheel was among the military officials that were ...

, were publicly executed the following year.Adam, p.226

Notes

References

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External links

The 40th Anniversary of the Execution of General Salaad Gabeyre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kediye, Salaad Gabeyre 1933 births 1972 deaths Somalian military leaders Executed military personnel People executed by Somalia by firing squad Executed Somalian people Frunze Military Academy alumni

Biography

See also

Notes

References

External links