Somalia - Aidid profile

(2 Aug 1996) T/I: 10:03:29 GS 10:47:26
Mohamed Farah Aidid, one of the faction leaders engaged in Somalia's bitter five-year civil war, has died at his Mogadishu home, according to a radio station controlled by his militia. It reported that Aidid suffered a heart attack on Thursday night (1/7) and would be buried on Friday, adding that there would be 30 days of mourning in Mogadishu. There were also reports that the heart attack was the result of gunshot wounds he suffered last week during fighting in the Medina district of south Mogadishu.
Aidid was proclaimed interim president of Somalia for three years by a conference of his supporters held in south Mogadishu on June 15. Shortly afterwards he named a government which is not recognised by other armed Somali clan factions or the international community.
Isse Mohammed Siad, a minister in the self-proclaimed government, is expected to take over as interim leader of the United Somali Congress/Somali National Alliance.
In June 1993, the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM) ordered the arrest of Aidid and offered a $US 25,000 reward for his arrest. US forces tried for months to arrest him, attacking his stronghold of south Mogadishu, but they gave up after 18 US soldiers were killed and 70 others were wounded by Aidid's militiamen on October 3, 1993.
Somalia has been ruled by warlords since the overthrow of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. UN troops pulled out in March last year after their peace mission failed.

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