Mohamed Said Samatar

Mohamed Said Samantar "Ga'lie - Gacaliye" is a Somali politician.

Career

He was born in Wardheer in the Western Somaliland. While very young, he participated in the fight for his country's independence. In 1947 he joined the Somali Youth League, a movement opposing the British occupation. After attending normal school, he became an elementary teacher, then worked for BBC Somali and Radio Mogadishu and, in 1958, went to Rome, where he was placed in charge of RAI's Africa and Somali Service (Italian Radio Broadcasting and Television Company) broadcasts to Africa. While in Rome, he studied political science at the university of level.

In 1960, M.S. Samantar joined the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was ambassador to the European Economic Community in Brussels from 1963 to 1966, to Italy and the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) in Rome from 1969 to 1973, and to the French Government in Paris from 1974 to 1979.

He was one of the main Somali architects and strategists for Djibouti's independence from France in 1977.

He was appointed minister of state at the presidency in Mogadishu in 1979 and placed in charge of relations with the Western powers in a particularly touchy regional and international context involving the commitment of the Soviet Union and Cuba on behalf of Ethiopia.

He was a neutral figure at the onset of the Somali civil war, but later on he contributed to the founding of the SNF group and was in very good term with many of the new Ethiopian leaders that took over after the demise of Mengistu'sn regime, particularly with the then President Meles Ato Zenawi.

He was among the very few decent Somali politicians, a voice of moderation and a lover and supporter of the arts and artits, before and during the Somali strife. He lef behind many writings, poems and famous songs.

He passed away in 1995, in Paris, France, after a log illness.

References

Persondata
Name	Samatar, Mohamed Said
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death	1995
Place of death