Dahir Riyale Kahin
Dahir Rayale Kahin | |
|---|---|
| 3rd President of Somaliland | |
| In office May 3, 2002 – Present | |
| Vice President | Ahmed Yusuf Yasin |
| Preceded by | Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1952 Quljeed, Awdal, British Somaliland |
| Died | image |
| Resting place | image |
| Nationality | British, Somalilander |
| Political party | UDUB |
| Spouses | Huda Barkhad |
| Parent |
|
| Profession | Politician |
Dahir Rayale Kahin (Somali: Daahir Rayaale Kaahin, born 1952) is the President of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland. He became the third president of Somaliland on May 5, 2002, after the death of Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal. He won elections on April 14, 2003, representing the Ururka Dimuqraadiga Umada Bahawday (UDUB), or United Democratic People's Party, and was sworn into office on May 16, 2003.
Background
He was born at Quljeed, Awdal and was trained in Mogadishu. He comes from the Reer Dudub Clan of the Gadabursi tribe . His previous posts include a diplomat at the Somali Embassy in Djibouti; he was also in intelligence; governor of Awdal; a businessman; and vice president of Somaliland (1997 - 2002).
Service in the Barré government
In the last years of the Barré government, Kahin held the rank of Sergeant in the National Security Service, and served as the NSS station chief in Berbera. During this time the NSS has been identified by many sources (U.S. Department of State, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Africa watch) as having been involved in torture and extrajudicial killings of civilians on a massive scale, particularly during the war in Northern Somalia from May 1988 through the end of 1989. Sergeant Kahin was charged with suppression of the Somali National Movement.[1]
Attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2007
President Kahin led a delegation to take up an invitation to the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala, Uganda. It could be a good sign that Somaliland will be on the way towards getting both full recognition and full membership as a Commonwealth republic.
References
- ^ Africa News, May 7, 2004/Addis Tribune
