Yusuf Mohammed Siad Inda'ade
Encyclopedia
Yusuf Mohammed Siad, aka "Inda'ade" (White Eyes) is a Somali
warlord
, islamist and former minister and currently a General
in SNA
.
He hail from the Ayr
sub-clan, part of the Habar Gidir
, which is a branch of the Hawiye
clan.
For a short period he was Minister of Defense in Somalia
. Before he became a minister he was an islamist member of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) in Somalia
.
He has also served as deputy and financier for Hassan Dahir Aweys, and served as the security chief.
Nicknamed "white-eyed" (or Indhacadde), he was a former warlord who occupied Lower Shabelle
in 2002. He later allied himself with the Islamic Courts. The Islamic Courts advanced to central and south Somalia regions, including the Kismayo area, before Inda'ade pledged his support, giving them control of Lower Shabelle region in September 2006. In December 2006, he appealed to foreign Muslim
fighters to join his movement's Holy War
against Ethiopia
. He had been friends with Barre Aden Shirre Hiiraale, who was leader of the Juba Valley Alliance
which controlled Kismayo, and later became Defense Minister for the Transitional Federal Government
, but the two parted ways over which side to support in the Somali Civil War
.
Recently he became part of the Islamist restance group, formed in January 2008 known as Hizbul Islam. He however soon started an internal conflict in the group as he claimed to have removed the group's chairman Sheikh Omar Iman abubakr and replaced him with another Islamic cleric. Hassan Dahir Aweys however expressed support for Omar Iman and criticized Inda'ade saying he "has made it normal to destroy every group he is part of." On May 17, 2009, he defected to the Transitional Federal Government
and was later appointed Minister of Defense
. He resigned from the position as minister on 17 June 2010 and started his own faction after claiming the government didn't keep to its agreements.
peacekeeping force, he warned African nations to not send forces to Somalia. On December 19, the deadline for Ethiopia came and went. Analysts considered Inda'ade's hardline stance had caused a split with moderates within the ICU. On December 20, after the Ethiopians refused to withdraw, he admitted fighting had begun between the two sides, marking the beginning of the war at the Battle of Baidoa
.
On December 21, 2006, as the fighting intensified with Ethiopia, he took a flight to an undisclosed location with Hassan Dahir Aweys, and was said to be on the hajj, the pilgrimage in Mecca
.
On December 23, 2006, as the battle continued, he made a worldwide appeal for jihadists
to come to Somalia, and claimed the ICU had taken Tiyoglow, Bakol province. However, in the days that followed, the army of the ICU collapsed, leading to the Fall of Mogadishu
and the retreat of the ICU to their stronghold at Ras Kamboni
.
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...
warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
, islamist and former minister and currently a General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
in SNA
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...
.
He hail from the Ayr
Cayr
Ayr is a Somali clan, part of the Habar Gidir group .-Relations with the Islamic Courts Union:...
sub-clan, part of the Habar Gidir
Habar Gidir
The Habar Gidir are a Somali clan, part of the larger Hawiye group.The clan has produced some prominent Somali figures, such as Abdullahi Issa, the chairman of the Somali Youth League and first Prime Minister of Somalia prior to independence, Dr...
, which is a branch of the Hawiye
Hawiye
The Hawiye is a Somali clan. Members of the clan primarily live in central and southern Somalia, in the Ogaden and the North Eastern Province , and in smaller numbers in other countries. Like many Somalis, Hawiye members trace their ancestry to Irir Samaale...
clan.
For a short period he was Minister of Defense in 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...
. Before he became a minister he was an islamist member of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) in 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...
.
He has also served as deputy and financier for Hassan Dahir Aweys, and served as the security chief.
Nicknamed "white-eyed" (or Indhacadde), he was a former warlord who occupied Lower Shabelle
Shabeellaha Hoose
Lower Shebelle is an administrative region in southern Somalia.-Overview:It is bordered by the Somalian regions of Banadir, Middle Shebelle, Hiran, Bay and Middle Juba, and the Indian Ocean...
in 2002. He later allied himself with the Islamic Courts. The Islamic Courts advanced to central and south Somalia regions, including the Kismayo area, before Inda'ade pledged his support, giving them control of Lower Shabelle region in September 2006. In December 2006, he appealed to foreign Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
fighters to join his movement's Holy War
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
against Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. He had been friends with Barre Aden Shirre Hiiraale, who was leader of the Juba Valley Alliance
Juba Valley Alliance
The Juba Valley Alliance is a political faction of the Somali Civil War. It was the primary opponent of the Somali Patriotic Movement and the Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council vying for the control of Kismayo and the Juba River valley, the area known as Jubaland.Following the...
which controlled Kismayo, and later became Defense Minister for the Transitional Federal Government
Transitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional...
, but the two parted ways over which side to support in the Somali Civil War
Somali Civil War
The Somali Civil War is an ongoing civil war taking place in Somalia. The conflict, which began in 1991, has caused destabilisation throughout the country, with the current phase of the conflict seeing the Somali government losing substantial control of the state to rebel forces...
.
Recently he became part of the Islamist restance group, formed in January 2008 known as Hizbul Islam. He however soon started an internal conflict in the group as he claimed to have removed the group's chairman Sheikh Omar Iman abubakr and replaced him with another Islamic cleric. Hassan Dahir Aweys however expressed support for Omar Iman and criticized Inda'ade saying he "has made it normal to destroy every group he is part of." On May 17, 2009, he defected to the Transitional Federal Government
Transitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional...
and was later appointed Minister of Defense
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:...
. He resigned from the position as minister on 17 June 2010 and started his own faction after claiming the government didn't keep to its agreements.
War in Somalia
On December 12, 2006, he issued the ultimatum that Ethiopian forces should withdraw within seven days. On December 15, 2006, referring to the proposed IGASOMIGASOM
The African Union Mission in Somalia is an active, regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with the approval of the United Nations in Somalia...
peacekeeping force, he warned African nations to not send forces to Somalia. On December 19, the deadline for Ethiopia came and went. Analysts considered Inda'ade's hardline stance had caused a split with moderates within the ICU. On December 20, after the Ethiopians refused to withdraw, he admitted fighting had begun between the two sides, marking the beginning of the war at the Battle of Baidoa
Battle of Baidoa
The Battle of Baidoa began on December 20, 2006 when the Somali Transitional Federal Government's forces allied with Ethiopian forces stationed there attacked advancing Islamic Courts Union forces along with 500 alleged Eritrean troops and mujahideen arrayed against them.The battle began with...
.
On December 21, 2006, as the fighting intensified with Ethiopia, he took a flight to an undisclosed location with Hassan Dahir Aweys, and was said to be on the hajj, the pilgrimage in Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
.
On December 23, 2006, as the battle continued, he made a worldwide appeal for jihadists
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
to come to Somalia, and claimed the ICU had taken Tiyoglow, Bakol province. However, in the days that followed, the army of the ICU collapsed, leading to the Fall of Mogadishu
Fall of Mogadishu
The Fall of Mogadishu occurred on December 28, 2006, when the militaries of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government and Ethiopian troops entered the Somali capital unopposed...
and the retreat of the ICU to their stronghold at Ras Kamboni
Ras Kamboni
Ras Kamboni is a town in the Badhaadhe district of Lower Juba region, Somalia, which lies on a peninsula near the border with Kenya. American officials have said that it has served as a training camp for extremists with connections to Al-Qaeda; al-Sharq al-Awsat reported in May 1999 that al-Qaeda...
.
See also
- Islamic Courts Union
- Rise of the Islamic Courts Union (2006)
- War in Somalia (2006–2009)