General Abdulkadir Sheikh Dini ( so, Cabdulkaadir Sheekh Diini, ar, عبد القادر الشيخ ضئنئ) is a Somali politician and military official. He served as Chief of Army from March 2011 to March 2013, under both the

Transitional Federal Government The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) ( so, Dowladda Federaalka Kumeelgaarka, ar, الحكومة الاتحادية الانتقالية) was internationally recognized as a provisional government of the Republic of Somalia from 14 October ...

and the succeeding

Federal Government of Somalia The Government of Somalia (GS) ( so, Dowladda Soomaaliya, ar, حكومة الصومال الاتحادية) is the internationally recognised government of Somalia, and the first attempt to create a central government in Somalia since the Somal ...

. He is a former Minister of Defense of Somalia after being succeeded by

Abdirashid Abdullahi Mohamed Rashid Abdullahi Mohamed ( so, Rashiid Cabdullahi Moxamed) is a Somali politician. He is the former governor of the Bay region of Somalia. He was the former Minister of Defence of Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐 ...

Personal life

Dini was born in

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

. He hails from the

Marehan The Marehan ( so, Mareexaan, ar, مريحان) is a Somali sub-clan, which is part of one of the largest Somali clan families, the Darod. The clan is one of the largest constituent sub-clans of the Darod. The majority of the Marehan live in the ...

subclan of the

Darod The Darod ( so, Daarood, ar, دارود) is a Somali clan. The forefather of this clan was Sheikh Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, more commonly known as ''Darood''. The clan primarily settles the apex of the Horn of Africa and its peripherie ...

. From 1972 to 1974, Dini studied at the Military Academy in

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

. He later attended the

John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School The U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (SWCS) – known informally as "Swick" – primarily trains and educates United States Army personnel for the United States Army Special Operations Command and United States Specia ...

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 54,000 military personnel. The military reservation is located within Cum ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

in 1986. Between 1986 and 1987, Dini also matriculated at the U.S. Army's

Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. He completed his military education in 1989-1990, when he graduated from the

U.S. Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army educational institution in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instruction to senior military officer ...

Carlisle, Pennsylvania Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census, ...

. Dini speaks several languages, including Somali,

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

Military career

Dini began his military career in 1971, when he enlisted as a military cadet in the Somali Army. In 1979, he was promoted to Major Commander of Military Police Forces, Battalion level. He joined the Commando Brigade of Baledogle the following year, and in 1982 rose to the position of Commander. In 2010, Dini was called to assist in developing a security policy for the Transitional Federal Government. He was appointed Chief of Army on 29 March 2011 by former Prime Minister

Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed ( so, Maxaamed Cabdullaahii Maxaamed, ar, محمد عبدالله محمد; born 11 March 1962), also known as Farmaajo, is a Somali politician who served as president of Somalia from 2017 to 2022. He was prime minis ...

. Under Dini's command, the

Somali Armed Forces The Somali Armed Forces are the military forces of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Headed by the president as commander-in-chief, they are constitutionally mandated to ensure the nation's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Ch ...

and allied

AMISOM The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was a regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with the approval of the United Nations Security Council. It was mandated to support transitional governmental structures, implem ...

troops managed to flush out the Al-Shabaab insurgents from most urban centers in south and central

. Dini and his deputy army chief General Abdikarin Yusuf Dhega Badan were later relieved of their duties on 13 March 2013 at a transfer ceremony in

Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...

attended by government and AU officials, with General

Dahir Adan Elmi Major General Dahir Adan Elmi ( so, Daahir Aadan Cilmi, ar, ضاهر عدن علمي), also known as Dahir Aden Indha Qarshe, is a Somali military general. He is the former chief of the Somali Army. General Dahir Adan Elmi hails from Sheekhaal ...

appointed as the new Chief of Army and General Abdirisaq Khalif Hussein as his deputy. On 15 March 2013, a luncheon was held in the capital in honour of General Dini and his deputy General Dhega Badan. Attended by Somali Minister of Defence

Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji-Faqi Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji-Faqi ( so, Cabdixakiin Maxamuud Xaaji Fiqi, ar, عبد الحكيم محمود حاجي الفقي), also spelled Abdulhakim Mahamud Fiqi,Nathan Mugisha and various AU officials, AMISOM Force Commander Lt Gen

Andrew Gutti Lieutenant General Andrew Gutti is a Ugandan military officer. He was the Chairman of the General Court Martial of the Uganda People's Defence Force until 3 August 2000, when he handed over office to Brigadier General Robert Freeman Mugabe. Gu ...

thanked Dini and Dhega Badan for their services, stating that "we in AMISOM have been proud to serve alongside such great Somali patriots ..under Gen Dini's leadership, the Somali National Security Forces have become better organized and more effective as evidenced by the successes they have achieved against the Al Qaeda-affiliated al Shabaab terror group across the country."

Minister of Defense

On 27 January 2015, Dini was appointed Minister of Defense of Somalia by new Prime Minister

Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke (; so, Cumar Cabdirashiid Cali Sharmaarke, ar, عمر شرماركي) (born 18 June 1960), popularly known as Omar Sharmarke, is a Somali diplomat and politician. From 2009 to 2010, he was the Prime Minister of Som ...

. He succeeded Mohamed Sheikh Hassan in office. On 1 July 2015, Abdulkadir Sheikh Dini reopened the headquarters of the Somali Air Force. Located in Afisone, Mogadishu, the move would facilitate the re-establishment of the air force after 25 years of civil war. Dini said that the institution was located in a residential neighborhood for two years and was glad to locate to the original headquarters. On 3 March 2016, a military transport carrying Dini was hit with a landmine explosion near

Kismayo Airport Kismayo Airport , also known as Kisimayu Airport, is an international airport serving Kismayo, the capital city of the Lower Juba region in Somalia. It is located in southern Jubaland, an autonomous region in Somalia. The airport was first see ...

; Dini was uninjured.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dini, Abdulkadir Sheikh Living people Defence Ministers of Somalia Somalian military leaders Somalian generals Government ministers of Somalia Year of birth missing (living people)