Muhammad Ali Samatar
Encyclopedia
Muhammad Ali Samatar (born 1931) is a Somali
politician and former Prime Minister of Somalia
from 1 February 1987 to 3 September 1990.
Samatar was part of the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party
, and was an important official in the government of Siad Barre
. He served as a general in the Somali Armed Forces
, as Defense Minister
from 1980 to 1986, and as Prime Minister
from February 1, 1987 to September 3, 1990, the first person to fill that post since Barre abolished the position upon assuming the presidency in 1969.
In 2009, a civil lawsuit seeking financial damages from Samatar was filed in the United States
by a small group of Somalis, some of whom are naturalized U.S. citizens. The group said that they had suffered physical abuse in violation of international law at the hands of soldiers or other government officials under Samatar's command. However, the plaintiffs do not claim that Samatar personally committed the atrocities or that he was directly involved. Samantar claimed he was immune from responsibility under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. On June 1, 2010, the United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously against granting Samantar the immunity he had claimed, permitting the lawsuit against him to continue.
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
politician and former Prime Minister of Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
from 1 February 1987 to 3 September 1990.
Biography
Samatar was born in 1931 in Somalia. A former army officer, he was a key figure in Somali politics throughout the 1970s and 1980s.Samatar was part of the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party
Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party
The Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party was the governing political party in Somalia from 1976 to 1991.- History :XHKS was created by the military regime of Siad Barre under Soviet guidance. A founding congress was held in June 1976. The congress elected a Central Committee, with Barre as the...
, and was an important official in the government of Siad Barre
Siad Barre
Mohamed Siad Barre was the military dictator and President of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969 to 1991. During his rule, he styled himself as Jaalle Siyaad ....
. He served as a general in the Somali Armed Forces
Military of Somalia
The Military of Somalia was, up until 1991, made up of the army, navy, air force, and air defense command. The outbreak of the Somali Civil War during that year led to the de facto dissolution of the national armed forces. However, efforts to re-establish a regular armed force by a re-constituted...
, as Defense Minister
Ministry of Defence (Somalia)
The Ministry of Defense of the Transitional Federal Government of the Somali Republic is the government body in charge of the TFG armed forces-Established by Transitional Federal Charter:...
from 1980 to 1986, and as Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Somalia
This page contains a list of the Prime Ministers of Somalia.-Prime Ministers of Somalia :-Affiliations:*SYL - Somali Youth League*SNL - Somali National League...
from February 1, 1987 to September 3, 1990, the first person to fill that post since Barre abolished the position upon assuming the presidency in 1969.
In 2009, a civil lawsuit seeking financial damages from Samatar was filed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by a small group of Somalis, some of whom are naturalized U.S. citizens. The group said that they had suffered physical abuse in violation of international law at the hands of soldiers or other government officials under Samatar's command. However, the plaintiffs do not claim that Samatar personally committed the atrocities or that he was directly involved. Samantar claimed he was immune from responsibility under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. On June 1, 2010, the United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously against granting Samantar the immunity he had claimed, permitting the lawsuit against him to continue.