Garowe (PP News Desk) — The autobiography of the late Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed has been translated into Arabic. Published in 2012, one month before his passing, the autobiography is the first written by a former Somali president in Somali. Mohamud Issa Farah translated the autobiography, Halgan iyo Hagardaamo (Struggle and Conspiracy), into Arabic in 2025.
The autobiography covers many topics, ranging from his upbringing and his enlistment in the army in 1952 during the trusteeship period, in what was then known as the Trust Territory of Somaliland, to his military career after independence in 1960. It also details his arrest by the military regime, the 1978 abortive coup and his subsequent defection to form an armed front based in Ethiopia, where he was detained in 1985 and released in 1991. He further reflected on his return to Somalia in 1991, his role in Somali politics and his notable advocacy for a federal system for Somalia, which was adopted in 2004 before he had been elected president during the Kenya-sponsored Somali reconciliation conference.
The autobiography raised questions about the disclosures he made regarding political events during his presidential tenure. Some readers have lauded Yusuf’s candour about his views on his rivals and the role of neighbouring countries.
© Puntland Post, 2025
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