Abdirahman Jama Barre

Abdirahman Jama Barre was born in 1937 in the southern town of Luuq, Italian Somaliland.^[3] He hails from the Marehan Darod clan.^[4] He was a cousin of former President of Somalia, Mohamed Siad Barre.^[5] His brother, "Asasey", was also active in Somali politics.^[6]

Barre pursued higher studies abroad. For his tertiary education, he earned a PhD in the early 1960s from the teaching faculty at the University of Padua in Padua, Italy.^[5] Barre was married, and had seven children. He had eight children from his first marriage. He enjoyed lawn tennis.^[3]

Barre began his professional career upon graduation from university. Initially, he briefly served as a headmaster.^[3] In 1960, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Somali Republic's early civilian administration. He received his first diplomatic post the same year, working as a counsellor until 1964. Barre was concurrently promoted to Director of the ministry's Economic and Social Department as well as Director-General of its Social Department. He served as such for the next four years. Between 1969 and 1970, he was also the Acting Director-General of both departments.^[3]

Following the bloodless 1969 coup d'état, Barre was named Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the new ruling Supreme Revolutionary Council (SRC) in 1970. He subsequently became a member of the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (SSRP) in 1976, sitting on the political association's Central Committee.^[3]

In July 1977, Barre was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs.^[7] He represented the Somali Democratic Republic in this capacity at the United Nations General Assembly.^[8]

Along with then Foreign Minister of Ethiopia Foreign Minister of Ethiopia Goshu Wolde, Jama Barre was also part of a seven-person Somalia-Ethiopia committee. The intergovernmental panel was formed in 1986.^[9]

Toward the end of 1987, Barre was appointed the 1st Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia.^[3] Abdiqassim Salad Hassan served alongside him as the 2nd Deputy Prime Minister.^[10] Jama was concurrently named Minister of Finance and Treasury.^[3][11] In 1989, he was reappointed Foreign Minister, with his second term in the office lasting a year.^[12] He would hold both 1st Deputy Prime and Finance Minister positions until the collapse of the central government in January 1991.^[3][11]

Barre was part of the governmental Suhl (Reconciliation) group, of which Abdiqassim Salad Hassan, who would go on to become President of Somalia, was a key founder.^[13]

In 2004, following the establishment of the Transitional Federal Government, Barre presented himself as a candidate for President of Somalia. He lost out to then President of the autonomous Puntland region, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed.^[12]

• Somali Youth League