Ahmed Mohamed Hassan ( so, Axmed Maxamed Xasan, ar, أحمد محمد حسن) (born April 1, 1953) is a Somali former

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

pilot known for refusing to follow his orders to bomb the city of

Hargeisa Hargeisa (; so, Hargeysa, ar, هرجيسا) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Somaliland. It is located in the Maroodi Jeex region of the Horn of Africa. It succeeded Burco as the capital of the British Somaliland Protector ...

, Somalia's second capital during the dictatorial rule of

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 ...

Early life and background

Mohamed Hassan was born on April 1, 1953 in

Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...

during its period as a

United Nations Trust Territory United Nations trust territories were the successors of the remaining League of Nations mandates and came into being when the League of Nations ceased to exist in 1946. All of the trust territories were administered through the United Natio ...

. He had a modest upbringing and was raised by his parents alongside his ten siblings. He hails from the

Abgaal Abgaal (Somali: Abgaal, Arabic: أبغال) is a subclan of the Hawiye and the even larger Samaale clan. It is one of the major Somali clans and has produced many prominent historical Somali figures including 3 presidents, and the father of t ...

Hawiye The Hawiye ( so, Hawiye, ar, بنو هوية, it, Hauija) is the largest Somali clan family. Members of this clan traditionally inhabit central and southern Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia ( Somali, Harar, Oromia and Afar regions) and the Nor ...

clan. He joined the Somali Air Force in the early seventies where he quickly made a name for himself as an exceptional and talented young pilot. He eventually attained the rank of Lieutenant colonel (Gashaanle Dhexe).

Somali Civil War

On July 12, 1988, during the early months of the

Somali Civil War The Somali Civil War ( so, Dagaalkii Sokeeye ee Soomaaliya; ar, الحرب الأهلية الصومالية ) is an ongoing civil war that is taking place in Somalia. It grew out of resistance to the Military dictatorship, military junta wh ...

, he received orders to bomb Hargeisa, then the second-largest city in the former

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 ...

military dictatorship. As an officer in the Somali Air Force, he took an oath to defend his nation and its people and could not bring himself to bomb and kill innocent civilians. He refused to obey his orders and switched off his radio. He flew his

Mig-17 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-17; NATO reporting name: Fresco) is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 w ...

fighter aircraft to the nearby country of

Djibouti Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...

where he was forced to make an emergency landing on a beach due to fuel shortage. He abandoned his jet and attempted to make his way to the capital by walking in the scorching heat. After walking some distance, he came across some fishermen near the coast who helped him reach the capital. The Somali government requested his repatriation, however, the Djibouti government refused and he was informed by the Djibouti Home Affairs Minister that due to his actions, he will be granted political asylum.

Later life

Mohamed Hassan moved to Europe in 1990, where he settled in

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

with his wife and children. In 2008 he returned to Hargeisa, where he was invited to attend a ceremony held to honour his exceptional heroism, integrity and nobility. He was the guest of honour at that year's 26 June celebrations. A humble man, he mentioned in a 2009 interview with BBC Somali that it was his duty as a human being to save the lives of defenceless and innocent people, adding that he refused to be a vessel for destruction and that it is only other people who make his actions seem heroic.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hassan, Ahmed Mohamed 1953 births Living people People from Mogadishu Ethnic Somali people