Chief of Defence Force (Somalia)
Somali military appointment
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Chief of Defence Force (Somali: Taliyaha Ciidanka Xooga Somaaliyeed) is the professional head of the Somali Armed Forces. He is responsible for the administration and the operational control of all branches of the Somali military (Army, Navy and Air Force) and thus is the direct superior to both the Chief of the Navy and the Chief of the Air Force. The post has however only been held by Army officers. Typically the rank held by the Chiefs is major general.
| Chief of the Defence Force | |
|---|---|
| Taliyaha Ciidanka Xooga Somaaliyeed (Somali) | |
Coat of arms of the Armed Forces | |
| Somali Armed Forces | |
| Style | Jaale |
| Type | Chief of staff |
| Status | Highest ranking military officer |
| Abbreviation | CDF |
| Appointer | President of Somalia |
| Formation | 12 April 1960 |
| First holder | Daud Abdulle Hirsi |
| Unofficial names | Commander of the Somali Armed Forces, Commander of the Somali National Army[2] |
In accordance with the unchallenged scholarly consensus that clan affiliation has been critical to warfare in Somalia since the 1980s,[3] clan affiliation of the Chiefs of Defence Force have been added to this list where reliable data is available.
Dahir Adan Elmi, a Sheekhaal officer, was serving as CDF in 2014.
Odawa Raage (Hawiye/Abgaal) served as CDF from 22 August 2019 to June 2023. He was promoted to major-general in the last days of his tenure, being listed as such in a Somali government briefing of 21 June 2023.[4] He was reappointed on 9 November 2024.[5]
A Hawiye officer, Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyadin Addow, succeeded Raage as CDF in June 2023, and then Raage was reappointed. Thereafter, Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud took over as of 29 January 2026, when he was appointed by the Federal Government of Somalia.[6]
List of Chiefs
Somali Republic and Somali Democratic Republic (1960–1991)
| No. | Portrait | Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaale Major general Daud Abdulle Hirsi (1925–1965) | 12 April 1960 | 1965 † | 4–5 years | [7] | |
| 2 | Jaale Major general Siad Barre (1910–1995) | 1965 | 1969 | 3–4 years | [8] | |
| 3 | Jaale Lieutenant general Ali Samatar (1931–2016) | 1969 | 1990 | 17–18 years | – | |
| 4 | Jaale Major general Mohamed Said Hersi Morgan (1949–2025) | 25 November 1990 | 20 January 1991 | 56 days | [9] |
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Transitional Federal Government (2004–2012)
| No. | Portrait | Chief of Army | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Major general Ismail Qasim Naji | 15 April 2005 | 10 February 2007 | 1 year, 301 days | [10] | |
| 2 | Major general Abdullahi Ali Omar (born 1947) | 10 February 2007 | 21 July 2007 | 161 days | [11][12] [13] | |
| 3 | Major general Salah Hassan Jama | 21 July 2007 | 11 June 2008 | 326 days | [14] | |
| 4 | Major general Said Dheere Mohamed | 11 June 2008 | 14 May 2009 | 337 days | [15] | |
| 5 | Major general Yusuf Osman Dhumal | 15 May 2009 | 6 December 2009 | 205 days | [16] | |
| 6 | Major general Mohamed Gelle Kahiye | 6 December 2009 | 6 September 2010 | 274 days | [17] | |
| 7 | Major general Ahmed Jimale Gedi | 6 September 2010 | 29 March 2011 | 204 days | - | |
| 8 | Major general Abdulkadir Sheikh Dini | 29 March 2011 | 13 March 2013 | 1 year, 349 days | [18][19] |
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Federal Government (2012–present)
| No. | Portrait | Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Major general Dahir Adan Elmi | 13 March 2013 | 25 June 2014 | 1 year, 104 days | [19] | |
| 2 | Major general Abdullahi Anod | 25 June 2014 | 24 September 2015 | 1 year, 91 days | [20] | |
| 3 | Major general Mohamed Adam Ahmed (born 1950) | 24 September 2015 | 5 April 2017 | 1 year, 193 days | [19] | |
| 4 | Major general Ahmed Mohamed Jimale | 5 April 2017 | 12 October 2017 | 190 days | [21] | |
| 5 | Major general Abdiweli Jama Hussein Gorod | 12 October 2017 | 16 August 2018 | 308 days | [22] | |
| 6 | Major general Dahir Adan Elmi | 16 August 2018 | 27 August 2020 | 2 years, 11 days | [23] | |
| 7 | Major general Odowaa Yusuf Rageh | 27 August 2020 | 19 June 2023 | 2 years, 296 days | [24] | |
| 8 | Major general Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyadin Addow | 19 June 2023 | 9 November 2024 | 1 year, 143 days | [19] | |
| 9 | Major general Odowaa Yusuf Rageh | 9 November 2024 | 29 January 2026 | 1 year, 279 days | [25] | |
| 10 | Brigadier general Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud | 29 January 2026 | Incumbent | 198 days | [26] |
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