Chief of Defence Force (Somalia)

The Chief of Defence Force (Somali: Taliyaha Ciidanka Xooga Somaaliyeed) is the professional head of the Somali Armed Forces. He is responsible for the administration and the operational control of all branches of the Somali military (Army, Navy and Air Force) and thus is the direct superior to both the Chief of the Navy and the Chief of the Air Force. The post has however only been held by Army officers and the term limit is 2 years.[citation needed] Typically the rank held by the Chiefs is brigadier general, though some, notable Dahir Adan Elmi were granted the rank of major general.

Chief of the General Staff
Taliyaha Ciidanka Xooga Somaaliyeed (Somali)
Lesser coat of arms of the Armed Forces
Flag of the Armed Forces
Incumbent
Major General Odowaa Yusuf Rageh
since 9 November 2024
Ministry of Defense and Somali Armed Forces
StyleJaale
TypeChief of staff
StatusHighest ranking military officer
AbbreviationCXDS
AppointerPresident of Somalia
Term length2 years
Formation12 April 1960
First holderDaud Abdulle Hirsi
Unofficial namesCommander of the Somali Armed Forces, Commander of the Somali National Army[1]

Odawa Raage served from 22 August 2019 to June 2023. He was promoted to major-general in the last days of his tenure, being listed as such in a Somali government briefing of June 21, 2023.[2][3]He was reappointed on 9 November 2024.[4]

List of Chiefs

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Somali Republic and Somali Democratic Republic (1960–1991)

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No. Portrait Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces Took office Left office Time in office Ref.
1Jaale
Major general
Daud Abdulle Hirsi
(1925–1965)
12 April 19601965 †4–5 years[5]
2Barre, SiadJaale
Major general
Siad Barre
(1910–1995)
196519693–4 years[6]
3Jaale
Lieutenant general
Ali Samatar
(1931–2016)
1969199117–18 years

Transitional Federal Government (2004–2012)

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No. Portrait Chief of Army Took office Left office Time in office Ref.
1Naji, Ismail QasimMajor general
Ismail Qasim Naji
15 April 200510 February 20071 year, 301 days[7]
2Omar, Abdullahi AliMajor general
Abdullahi Ali Omar
(born 1947)
10 February 200721 July 2007161 days[8][9]
[10]
3Jama, Salah HassanMajor general
Salah Hassan Jama
21 July 200711 June 2008326 days[11]
4Jama, Said DheereMajor general
Said Dheere Mohamed
11 June 200814 May 2009337 days[12]
5Dhumal, Yusuf OsmanMajor general
Yusuf Osman Dhumal
15 May 20096 December 2009205 days[13]
6Kahiye, Mohamed GelleMajor general
Mohamed Gelle Kahiye
6 December 20096 September 2010274 days[14]
7Gedi, Ahmed JimaleMajor general
Ahmed Jimale Gedi
6 September 201029 March 2011204 days-
8Dini, Abdulkadir Sh.Major general
Abdulkadir Sheikh Dini
29 March 201113 March 20131 year, 349 days[15][16]

Federal Government (2012–present)

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No. Portrait Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Took office Left office Time in office Ref.
1Elmi, Dahir AdanMajor general
Dahir Adan Elmi
13 March 201325 June 20141 year, 104 days[16]
2Anod, AbdullahiMajor general
Abdullahi Anod
25 June 201424 September 20151 year, 91 days[17]
3Ahmed, Mohamed AdamMajor general
Mohamed Adam Ahmed
(born 1950)
24 September 20155 April 20171 year, 193 days[16]
4Jimale, Ahmed MMajor general
Ahmed Mohamed Jimale
5 April 201712 October 2017190 days[18]
5Hussein, Abdiweli JMajor general
Abdiweli Jama Hussein Gorod
12 October 201716 August 2018308 days[19]
(1)Elmi, Dahir AdanMajor general
Dahir Adan Elmi
16 August 201827 August 20202 years, 11 days[20]
6Rageh, Odowa YusufMajor general
Odowaa Yusuf Rageh
27 August 202019 June 20232 years, 296 days[21]
7Muhyadin Addow, Ibrahim SheikhMajor general
Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyadin Addow
19 June 20239 November 20241 year, 143 days[16]
8Rageh, Odowa YusufMajor general
Odowaa Yusuf Rageh
9 November 2024Incumbent27 days[22]

References

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  1. ^ "Federal Government of Somalia's Weekly Briefing". 21 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Federal Government of Somalia's Weekly Briefing". 21 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Dismissed but Not Defeated: General Odowa Speaks Out on Armed Forces and Future Plans". 23 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Somali Cabinet Backs Former Army Chief for Return Stint". Bloomberg News. 10 November 2024.
  5. ^ Ehrenreich, Frederick (1982). "National Security". In Nelson, Harold N. (ed.). Somalia: a country study (PDF). Area Handbook (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 238. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  6. ^ Ehrenreich 1982, p. 238.
  7. ^ "Somali cabinet fills key posts". Al Jazeera. 14 April 2005. Archived from the original on 18 September 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2007.
  8. ^ "Somalia's army commander sacked as new ambassadors are appointed". Shabelle Media Network. 10 April 2007. Archived from the original on 14 November 2007. Retrieved 9 November 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. ^ State collapse and post-conflict ... 12 November 1998. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  10. ^ "Peaceful day for Somalia reconciliation conference". Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  11. ^ "Somalia's Interim President Appoints New Chief of Staff for the Armed Forces" Archived 4 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine hiiraan.com
  12. ^ "Somali president names new military chief amid insurgent push" Archived 14 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine topnews.in
  13. ^ "Somalia fires heads of police force and military" Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine reuters.com
  14. ^ "Somali president fires top commanders" Archived 4 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine hiiraan.com
  15. ^ "Salad Gabeyre Kediye Was a Brigadier General in the Somali Military and a Revolutionary". Banaadir Weyne. 2 April 2011. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  16. ^ a b c d "Somalia changes its top military commanders". Shabelle Media Network. 13 March 2013. Archived from the original on 17 March 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  17. ^ "SOMALIA: President Mohamud fires senior military commanders". Raxanreeb. 25 June 2014. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  18. ^ "Somali Defense Minister, Army Chief Resign". 12 October 2017. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  19. ^ "Army chief Gorod replaced as Farmaajo kicks out close ally from Villa Somalia". 16 August 2018. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  20. ^ "General Dahir Adan Elmi Has Been Reappointed as the Commander of the SNA".
  21. ^ "Somalia National Army Get the Youngest Commander in History".
  22. ^ "Somali Cabinet Backs Former Army Chief for Return Stint". Bloomberg News. 10 November 2024.