Abdirashid Ali Shermarke عبد الرشيد علي شارماركي
2nd President of Somalia
In office June 10, 1967 – October 15, 1969
Preceded by	Aden Abdullah Osman Daar
Succeeded by	Muhammad Siad Barre
Born	November 16, 1919 Hobyo district, Mudug Region
Died	October 15, 1969 Las Anod
Nationality	Somali
Political party	Somali Youth League (SYL)
Religion	Islam

Abdirashid Ali Shermarke (Somali: Cabdirashiid Cali Sharmaarke, Arabic: عبد الرشيد علي شارماركي‎) (October 16,^[1] 1919 - October 15, 1969) was Prime Minister of Somalia from July 12, 1960 to June 14, 1964, and President of Somalia from June 10, 1967 until his assassination on October 15, 1969.^[2] He was the father of Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke.

[edit] Early years

Shermarke was born in 1919 in the town of Harardhere in the district of Hobyo.

Raised in Mogadishu, he attended Qur'anic schools and completed his elementary education in 1936. He then embarked on a career as a trader and later as a civil servant in the Italian colonial administration.

In 1943, the year of its inauguration, Shermarke joined the incipient Somali Youth League political party. He entered the British administration's civil service the following year.

While still a civil servant, Shermarke completed his secondary education in 1953. He earned a scholarship to study at the prestigious Sapienza University of Rome, where he graduated in political science in 1958. In 1960, his son, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke was born. He would later become Prime Minister of the Somali Transitional Federal Government.

[edit] Political career

After returning from his studies abroad in Italy in 1959, Shermarke was elected to the Legislative Assembly.

When Somalia gained its independence on July 1, 1960, he was appointed by then-incumbent President Aden Abdullah Osman Daar as Prime Minister. Shermarke's duties as Prime Minister saw him travel abroad extensively in pursuit of a non-aligned and neutral foreign policy. He remained Prime Minister until March 1964, when the first general elections were held and which saw him re-elected as a member of Parliament.he was the first president visit to USSR in 1962

In the 1967 presidential elections, Shermarke beat out Daar to become the second President of Somalia. He was sworn in to office on June 10, 1967.

[edit] Assassination

On October 15, 1969, while paying a visit to the northern town of Las Anod, Shermarke was shot dead by one of his own bodyguards.^[3]

His assassination was quickly followed by a military coup d'état on October 21, 1969 (the day after his funeral), in which the army seized power without encountering opposition—essentially a bloodless coup. The coup was spearheaded by Major General Muhammad Siad Barre, who was at the time the commander of the army.

[edit] See also

• Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke

[edit] References

v • d • e Presidents of Somalia First Republic Aden Abdullah Osman Daar • Abdirashid Ali Shermarke • Sheikh Mukhtar Mohamed Hussein* Somali Democratic Siad Barre Second Republic Ali Mahdi Muhammad* • vacant, 1991–1995 • Mohamed Farrah Aidid • Hussein Mohamed Farrah • vacant, 1997–2000 • • Abdiqasim Salad Hassan* • Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed* • Adan Mohamed Nuur Madobe* • Sharif Ahmed * means acting president

v • d • e Prime Ministers of Somalia Haji Ibrahim Egal • Ali Shermarke • Haji Hussein • Haji Ibrahim Egal • Farah Salad† • post abolished, 1970-87 • Ali Samatar • Hawadle Madar • Arteh Ghalib • vacant, 1997-2000 • Khalif Galaid • Jama Ali • Abshir Farah • Abdi Yusuf • Mohammed Ghedi • Aliyow Ibrow • Hassan Hussein • Ali Sharmarke † military