Abdulkadir Sheikh Dini

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.^[2]

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.^[3] Under Dini's command, the Somali Armed Forces and allied AMISOM troops managed to flush out the Al-Shabaab insurgents from most urban centers in south and central Somalia. 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 attended by government and AU officials, with General Dahir Adan Elmi appointed the new Chief of Army and General Abdirisaq Khalif Hussein as his deputy.^[4]

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, Ugandan Ambassador to Somalia Nathan Mugisha and various AU officials, AMISOM Force Commander Lt Gen Andrew Gutti 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."^[5]

On 27 January 2015, Dini was appointed Minister of Defense of Somalia by new Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke. He succeeded Mohamed Sheikh Hassan in office.^[1]

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.^[6]

On 3 March 2016, a military transport carrying Dini was hit with a landmine explosion near Kismayo Airport; Dini was uninjured.^[7]