Ahmed Mohamed Hassan (, ; born April 1, 1953) is a Somali former

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

pilot known for refusing to follow his orders to bomb the city of

Hargeisa Hargeisa ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Somaliland, a ''List of states with limited recognition, de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still considered internationally to be part of Somalia. It is also th ...

, Somalia's second capital, during the dictatorial rule of Mohamed Siad Barre. He was born in central Shabelle, especially in Biyacade District, which is about 45 km from Jowhar. His father was a funeral director in Biyacade district. He was called the father of nabadon Haji Muhumahad Hassan. He is from the Goonyar tribe. (Agoonyar gaabane)

Early life and background

Mohamed Hassan was born on April 1, 1953, in

Mogadishu Mogadishu, 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 connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...

during its period as a United Nations Trust Territory. He had a modest upbringing and was raised by his parents alongside his ten siblings. He hails from the

Abgaal The Abgaal (Somali language, Somali: Abgaal; Arabic: أبگال) are a Somali clan, Somali sub-clan of the Hawiye and the even larger Samaale clan. This prominent Somali clan, despite being one of the youngest in Somalia, is one of the most ...

Hawiye The Hawiye (; ) are one of the principal and largest of the Somali clans, tracing their lineage back to Sheikh Ahmed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Uthman, also known as Sheikh Hawiye, the eponymous figure of the clan. They are considered the earliest do ...

clan. He joined the Somali Air Force in the early 1970s, where he quickly made a name for himself as an exceptional and talented young pilot. He eventually attained the rank of lieutenant colonel (Gashaanle Dhexe).

Somali Civil War

On July 12, 1988, during the early months of the

Somali Civil War The Somali Civil War (; ) is an List of ongoing armed conflicts, ongoing civil war that is taking place in Somalia. It grew out of resistance to the military junta which was led by Siad Barre during the 1980s. From 1988 to 1990, the Somali Armed ...

, he received orders to bomb Hargeisa, then the second-largest city in the former

Somali Democratic Republic The Somali Democratic Republic (; , ; ) was a socialist state in Somalia that existed from 1969 to 1991. Established in October 1969, the Somali Democratic Republic emerged following a 1969 Somali coup d'état, coup d'état led by Major General ...

military dictatorship. As an officer in the Somali Air Force, he took an oath to defend his nation and its people and could not bring himself to bomb and kill innocent civilians. He refused to obey his orders and switched off his radio. He flew his Mig-17 fighter aircraft to the nearby country of

Djibouti Djibouti, officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east. The country has an area ...

, where he was forced to make an emergency landing on a beach due to fuel shortage. He abandoned his jet and attempted to make his way to the capital by walking in the scorching heat. After walking some distance, he came across some fishermen near the coast who helped him reach the capital. The Somali government requested his repatriation; however, the Djibouti government refused and he was informed by the Djibouti Home Affairs Minister that due to his actions, he will be granted political asylum.

Later life

Mohamed Hassan moved to Europe in 1990, where he settled in

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

with his wife and children. In 2008 he returned to Hargeisa, where he was invited to attend a ceremony held to honour his exceptional heroism, integrity and nobility. He was the guest of honour at that year's 26 June celebrations. A humble man, he mentioned in a 2009 interview with BBC Somali that it was his duty as a human being to save the lives of defenceless and innocent people, adding that he refused to be a vessel for destruction and that it is only other people who make his actions seem heroic.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hassan, Ahmed Mohamed 1953 births Living people People from Mogadishu Ethnic Somali people