Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke Yousuf: Fifty-seven years after his departure, what we know about him

By Mohamed Isse Trunji 
Wednesday October 14, 2026

The history of the leaders who led the liberation movements in Somalia is largely ignored and disregarded among political scientists, historians and across the academic literature on Africa. Most of the leaders of these movements went to their graves without having an opportunity to tell their own stories. Somalia’s history includes many iconic figures like Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, who shaped independence movements, governance, and social change across the country. It is not easy to tell the story about one of the founding fathers of the Constitution, twice Prime Minister, and lately President of the Republic. Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke was certainly one of the country’s most skillful and powerful politicians in the era after independence. 

He was born at Harardere in 1919. After having attended Quranic School, he completed his elementary education in 1936. From 1937 to 1943 he served as civil servant in the then Italian administration. At the same time, he brought his educational standard up to intermediate level. He entered the British Administration Civil Service in 1944.

He joined the Somali Youth League (SYL) immediately after its foundation in 1943.

He completed his secondary education in 1950-53 while still a Civil Servant, and got a scholarship to the “La Sapienza Universita’” of Rome where he graduated in political science in 1958. 

As a senior SYL member, Abdirashid played a leading part in all significant political initiatives debated in the Legislative Assembly, first among them the demand for early independence. In fact, He sponsored a motion in the Legislative Assembly calling for early independence “possibilmente entro il 31 Dicembre dell’anno in corso”, (possibly before the end of the year), on August 17. (Il Corriere della Somalia. 19.8.1959). One of the motives for presenting the motion, he explained, was the perceived Ethiopian threat of territorial annexation designed to block the planned union between Somalia and the British Protectorate of Somaliland. A second reason cited in the motion was the realization that “grazie alla leale e effettiva osservanza da parte dell’ autorita’ amministrative degli obblighi assunti, il Paese aveva gia’ conseguito l’idoneita’ a governarsi” (thanks to the loyal and effective observance of the Administering Power of its obligations, the country had already acquired the ability to govern itself.  (Il Corriere della Somalia 20.8.1959; G. Costanzo, p, 62) 

As a matter of fact, the Ethiopian government was deeply disturbed by the proposed unification of the Protectorate with the Trust Territory, and remonstrated with Britain and United States regarding a widely publicized statement by Mr. Lennox Boyd (British Colonial Secretary at the time) about constitutional progress in Somaliland and a possible merger with Somalia. The motion was overwhelmingly approved by the Legislative Assembly on August 25, 1959 (Il Corriere della Somalia August 26, 1959) The motion  took effect immediately and Somalia became independent on July 1, 1960, i.e., six months ahead of the original date of December 2, 1960, stipulated by the Trusteeship Agreement between Italy and the United Nations. (General Assembly Resolution 289 (IV) of November 21, 1949)

Abdirashid Prime Minister

On 26 June 1960, British Protectorate of Somaliland became independent State. It united with the UN Trust Territory of Somalia to create the Somali Republic on 1 July 1960. Aden Abdulla Osman, in his capacity as provisional president called Abdirashid, a rising political figure, to form a united government. At the end of long consultations, Sharmarke formed a Cabinet of 15-members, in practice a clan coalition, dominated by the SYL party; in association with two other equally clan based northern parties: the Somali National League (SNL) and the United Somali Party (USP). Clan representation was within the bounds in support of the unwritten notion of clan balance.

On August 13, 1960, the government presented its political programme to the National Assembly, gaining a large vote of confidence: 97 in favour and 3 against. Two important constitutional developments occurred in 1960-1961: (a) the approval of the Constitution in a popular refrendum and, (b) the election of Aden Abdulla as full time Head of State.

The best qualified man for this task

After winning a full time presidential term of office in 1961, Aden Abdulla had again designated Abdirashid as Prime Minister. The decision of the President came as a result of intensive informal consultations with political parties and influential individuals. As the consensus emerging from the consultations appeared to be in favour of the ongoing Prime Minister, Aden Abdulla again called Abdirashid to form a government. In a brief statement to the press, the President announced: “I designated Abdirashid to form a new government and he accepted the designation with “reserve”, adding “I am sure, as I was in July last year, that the designated Prime Minister is the best qualified man for this task”.(Somali News July 14, 1961).

On 19 August Abdirashid presented the list of his cabinet to the National Assembly and obtained the vote of confidence with a majority of 94 to 19. (Government Activities, from Independence until today, 11 July, 1960 - 31 December 1963. Presidency of Council of Ministers, Mogadiscio 1964, p, 19) .

Abdirashid was one of few Somali MPs with University degree and long experience in administration. One of Abdirashid’s qualities was his ability to compromise, which had served him well in dealing with an often fractious Parliament. Abdirashid was also known for his close ties with influential religious sects based in the capital, which further enhanced his status as political campaigner.

Integration problem

During his four-year tenure as Prime Minister (1960-1964) he gained popularity for his policy of integration between the two regions of former British Protectorate of Somaliland and former UN trust territory of Somalia. When the two regions were joined in July 1960, they had two different judicial systems, different currencies, different organizations and conditions of service for the army, police force and civil servants. His government had achieved enormous progress in the field of integration. In fact, with the help of the United Nations Consultative Commission for Integration, the institutions of the two territories were quickly unified. Priority was given to unifying the Judiciary and civil service. A single legal system was approved. The fiscal and accounting systems were unified; the police and the national army were integrated.

Greater Somalia Policy

The Greater Somalia Policy refers to a long-standing intractable pan-Somali nationalism ideology aimed at unifying all ethnic Somali inhabited territories in the Horn of Africa into a single independent State. The intractability of this question was eloquently expressed by Premier Abdirashid: “Our misfortune”, he said, “is that our neighboring countries, with whom, like the rest of Africa, we seek to promote constructive and harmonious relations, are not our neighbors. Our neighbors are our kinsmen whose citizenship has been falsified by indiscriminate boundary “arrangements”. Thy have to move across artificial frontier to their pasture land. They occupy the same terrains and pursue the same pastoral economy as ourselves. We speak the same language. We share the sane creed, the same culture, and the same traditions. How can we regard our brothers as foreigners? Of course we all have a strong and very natural desire to unite. The first step in this direction was taken in 1960 when the Somaliland Protectorate was united to Somalia. This act was not an act of “colonialism”, or “expansionism” or “annexation”. (“The Somali Peninsula. A New Light on Imperial Motives”. Information Service of the Somali Government, 1962,).

On 15 October 1969, Radio Mogadiscio gave the shocking news that the President of the Republic had been shot dead at about 12:45pm in Las Anod by a rogue policeman, less than three full years into his presidential term. The President was visiting the northern provinces of the country, hit by famine and drought. The assassination of the President is surrounded by a “jumble of speculation”, the narration of which is outside the purview of this piece. However, suffice it here to say that, though the assassination took place 57 years ago, key questions about Abdirashid’s death remain unanswered. 

Mohamed Isse Trunji 
E-mile: [email protected]