Mohammed Hashi Gani

General

Mohammed Hashi Gani
General Hashi Gani (center) walking in Berbera, northern Somalia in 1983
Native name
Xaashi Gaani
NicknameHashi Gani
Allegiance Somali Democratic Republic (1980–1991) Somali National Front
BranchSomali National Army
Rank Brigadier General
Commands
Conflicts
Other workPolitician in Transitional National Assembly

Mohammed Hashi Gani (Somali: Maxamed Xaashi Ghani) commonly referred to as "Hashi Gani" was a Somali military officer and Brigadier General who served in the Somali National Army under the Somali Democratic Republic from 1980-1991. Alongside being governor of Hargeisa in northern Somalia he led the command of the 26th Division.[1] Hashi Gani was accused by northern Somalis belonging to the Isaaq clan of overseeing torture and killings during his time as military commander.

Biography

Hashi Gani is noted for his role against the Ethiopian backed Somali National Movement (SNM) rebels, particularly in the north west regions of Somalia. Where he was appointed governor of Hargeisa, under former president of Somalia Siad Barre. During his time as governor, he was criticized for his stricter and harsher precautions against the SNM and Isaaq populations.[2]

With being accused of killings and human rights abuses in the northwest regions of Somalia, Hashi Gani was interviewed in which he stated;

Anyone can accuse anyone of violations. But human rights - I was a soldier, I was defending a country. I was defending that country from a guerrilla movement that was backed by the Ethiopian government. I had obligations to protect the territorial integrity of Somalia and I was defending my borders. If you are going to call that action “human rights abuses” - I don’t know what to say. I don’t believe I have committed any human rights abuses.

— General Mohammed Hashi Gani, [3]

Career

Somali National Army

During the 1977 Ogaden War, Gani was apart of the commanders of the Somali troops. He saw action in multiple battles, and fought until the end of the war where the Somali Army was defeated. He was then transferred from his post in the South to the Northern part of the country, where he was appointed commander of the 26th Division (Somalia). Starting in the late 1970’s, Hashi Gani would begin his career in northern Somalia. He was appointed commander of the 26th Division of the Somali National Army, based in Hargeisa in the country’s north, in what is now Somaliland.[4]

Afraad Rebellion

Main article: Afraad Rebellion

One of Gani’s first actions was to suppress the nearby Isaaq insurgency in the Somaliland and Haud regions, Where the recently formed Afraad Movement under Mohamed Farah Dalmar Yusuf, also known as Mohamed Ali, was rebelling against the Somali army and the Western Somali Liberation Front. At first Gani attempted to disarm and forcefully move the insurgents to other parts of the country, but that failed.[5][4] Gani decided to capture the leader of the Afraad Movement, so he sent some troops to ambush and capture Mohamed Ali alive. In 1979 while he was out with some of his most trusted men, Mohamed Ali was ambushed and captured in a place called Atarosh near Harshin, in the Haud Area.[6] He was brought to the Supreme Court in Mogadishu, but was released shortly after, due to the intervention and rescue by his close friend and later SNM General, Mohamed Hashi Lihle. The Afraad Rebellion would continue until 1982, when it formally joined to form the military wing of the Somali National Movement, a Guerrilla movement formed to protect and later restore the lost independence of Somaliland.[7]

SNM insurgency

Failed assassination attempt

On 11 November 1982, the primarily Isaaq based Somali National Movement planned an operation where they attempted to ambush and kill Gani. The operation was unsuccessful and had to be completely abandoned due to the capture of Abdillahi Askar by Gani.[8][9]

In 1983 General Hashi Gani unleashed a cracked down on the SNM and captured former SNA Colonel Abdullahi Askar.[10] Hashi Gani tortured Abdullahi Askar demanding intel, and invited the public to Hargeisa Nationals Theatre on April 12, which is Somali National Army Day. General Hashi planned to come on stage and present Abdillahi Askar half naked and badly beaten, and then publicly execute him the same day. The motive behind this was to demoralize the Isaaq civilians in Hargeisa, who were known to be great supporters of the SNM and their primary base of support, as well as the morale of the SNM itself, with Gani famously saying, "We have your most prominent one, and we will bring him before you." However, his plan failed when the SNM lead an operation code-named Operation Birjeex, where Askar was successfully rescued by his fellow SNM commander, Ibrahim Ismail Koodbur[11][1][12][13][10][14]

Burco-Duuray offensive

Main article: Burco-Duuray offensive

On 17 October 1984, members of the SNM launched a coordinated assault aiming to destabilize the Somali government’s control in northern Somalia. However, government forces bolstered by superior firepower and having anticipated the invasion, decisively repelled the offensive. The SNM rebels were routed, suffered considerable casualties, and afterwards retreated. SNM military commander, Mohammed Hashi Lihle was defeated and killed in action against government troops led by Hashi Gani,[15][16] which was deemed a decisive victory.

The loss of Mohammed Hashi Lihle was a major setback for the SNM rebels. After the battle, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud (Siilaanyo) remarked:[17]

“If Lixle is dead, we have to all be like Lixle”

Somali National Front

Main article: Somali National Front

After the collapse of the Somali Democratic Republic, Hashi Gani was a key member of the Somali National Front (SNF), led by former loyalist to the Siad Barre regime. The SNF's political leadership, led by former Defense Minister General Omar Haji Masallah,was based in Nairobi, Kenya, while the military[18] wing was led by General Mohammed Hashi Gani based in the city of Luuq, Gedo.[19][20] The SNF would be consistently represented at all major national[21] reconciliation and peace conferences in Somalia over the 1990s.[22]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Mukhtar, Mohamed Haji (25 February 2003). Historical Dictionary of Somalia. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6604-1. Cite error: The named reference ":1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ Harden, Blaine (2 July 1985). "Somali Rebels Score Major Battle Gains". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  3. ^ IRIN (31 August 2000). "IRIN Interview with Major General Muhammad Gani, former northwest military commander". The New Humanitarian. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b Alex De Waal, Evil Days: Thirty Years of War and Famine in Ethiopia, Human Rights Watch, 1991, p. 95. Google Books
  5. ^ Ioan M. Lewis, Blood and Bone: The Call of Kinship in Somali Society, The Red Sea Press, 1994, p. 179. Google Books
  6. ^ Saahid, Saahid D. Ciidankii Maxamed-Cali; Wataatar Maxamed-Cali. 2023. p. 64.
  7. ^ Zartman, Jacob Blaustein Professor of International Organization and Conflict Resolution and Director of African Studies I. William (1995). Collapsed States: The Disintegration and Restoration of Legitimate Authority. Lynne Rienner Publishers. ISBN 978-1-55587-560-2.
  8. ^ Saahid, Saahid D. Ciidankii Maxamed-Cali; Wataatar Maxamed-Cali. 2023. p. 105.
  9. ^ [ https://books.google.so/books?id=ynEhEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA65&dq=operation+birjeex&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&ovdme=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiRvdPula6PAxVDNvsDHQwiIXMQ6AF6BAgKEAM Gérard Prunier, The Country That Does Not Exist: A History of Somaliland, Hurst Publishers, January 2021. Accessed August 28, 2025.]
  10. ^ a b Robinson, Colin (2 July 2016). "Revisiting the rise and fall of the Somali Armed Forces, 1960–2012". Defense & Security Analysis. 32 (3): 237–252. doi:10.1080/14751798.2016.1199122. ISSN 1475-1798. S2CID 156874430.
  11. ^ [https://books.google.so/books?id=alzIDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA115&dq=badjeex&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&ovdme=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjNhpOllq6PAxUbTqQEHSzWIxgQ6AF6BAgIEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false Boobe Yusuf Duale, Dharaaraa Ina Soo Maray: Sooyaalkii iyo Sugantidii SNM (1981–1993), Sagaljet (self‑published), 2020. Accessed August 28, 2025.
  12. ^ "C/aahi Askar Xidig Ka Mid Ah Xidigihii Gadhwadeenka Ka Ahaa Halgankii Dib U Xoraynta S/land Oo Inaga Baxay". Wargeyska Haatuf. 30 August 2010.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :34 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Hussein Mohamed Nur (2018). "The Rebirth of Somaliland (7): Operation Birjeex (SNM Rescue Unit)". Saxafi Media. Archived from the original on 2025-08-19. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  15. ^ Prunier, Gérard (2021). The Country that Does Not Exist A History of Somaliland By Gérard Prunier. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-1-78738-203-9.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference Geeska was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Politique Africaine (in French). KARTHALA Editions. January 25, 2011. p. 189. ISBN 9782811150426.
  18. ^ "General denies human rights abuses". www.thenewhumanitarian.org. 2000-08-31. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  19. ^ Gurdon, Charles (1994). The Horn of Africa. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-12063-4.
  20. ^ Restore hope = Socaliinta rajada : soldier handbook. U.S. National Library of Medicine. U.S. Army Intelligence and Threat Analysis Center. 1992. p. 18.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  21. ^ "Somalian BGEN Mohammad Hashi Gani shakes hands with LGEN Robert C. Kingston". www.dp.la. 1981-11-01. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  22. ^ Mukhtar (2020-01-18). Historical Dictionary Of Somaalia Maxamed Xaaji Mukhtaar. p. 146.
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