MEMORIES OF THE LATE HASSAN ADEN WADADIID

To ALLAH we belong and to HIM we return. May ALLAH,the Almighty rest his soul and shower condolence to all Somalilanders in general and to his family and friends in particular.
AAMIIN YAA RABI.

What I remember of Mujahid Hassan Adan Wadadiid’qualities and leadership:
(1) 1979 - 1981, Hassan was founding member and chairman of the movement later named SNM and I was hisSecretary.

(2) Hassan hosted at his house in Jeddah, the meeting where the SNM (Somali National Movement) was established.

In March of 1981, the Jeddah branch committee members of the movement and community elders deliberated the name of the movement for close to 10hours. A group of elders and statesmen led by Hassan Aden Wadadiid including Mohamed Hashi Elmi, AhmedIsmail Abdi, Osman Ahmed Hassan, Hassan Khalif,Mohamed Ali Farah and others wanted the movement tohave an Islamic name, Somali Islamic Movement (SIM).

There were a group of young intellectuals led by AliFarah (Ali Baaquli), Abdirahman Hassan Awl, QaalibMuuse, Ahmed Zaki Gulaid, Mohamed Abdillahi Absiye,Abdillahi Ahmed Barreh, Asyr Abdulqadir and others who wanted a different name. The late Ali Baaquli, mayALLAH rest his soul, suddenly proposed the Somali National Movement (SNM). An overwhelming majority adopted the name SNM.

(3) Without Hassan Aden’s political influence, SiyadBarre would have succeeded to expel all SNM membersand its supporters from the Meddle East. As a matterof fact, Hassan’s political weight in the Meddle Eastat the time was always an embarrassment and defeat tothe dictators.

(4) Hassan saved the movement in 1982 in Lasarat inEthiopia when he withdrew his candidacy for the chairmanship to the late Sheikh Yusuf Sheikh Ali. Thelate Abdulkadir Kosar (may ALLAH rest his soul) was Ethiopian contact informed him that Abdillahi Yusufgave misinformation to the Ethiopians to the effectthat SNM meeting will collapse at the chairmanship election. Abdulkadir told the candidates (Hassan andYusuf) to compromise.

Hassan wisely and generously compromised and I believe that saved SNM.(4) I witnessed one day when Hassan, at the Ethiopian Hotel in Addis Ababa, forcefully challenged AbdillahiYusuf who was campaigning through the support of thethen Ethiopian officials to compel SNM tounconditionally surrender itself to SSDF. Toparaphrase some of Hassan Aden’s statements toAbdillahi Yusuf as follows: Your $250,000 monthly cheque from Libya will not sell us out.

The support of our people and the determination of our leadershipwill flourish us while Qadafi’s cheque book will beyour demise.Hassan Aden Wadadeed was religious, generous, kind,honest, orator, firm decision-maker, articulator,visionary, risk-taker and above all he was my rolemodel.

May ALLAH take him to JANAH TUL FARDOWS.

MohamedBeergeel,
beergeel@yahoo.com
Toronto. Canada.