History Supreme Revolutionary Council (Somalia)

1 history

1.1 establishment
1.2 functions , political programme
1.3 dissolution , reinstatement

history

establishment

on october 15, 1969, while paying visit northern town of las anod, somalia s president abdirashid ali shermarke shot dead 1 of own bodyguards. assassination followed military coup d état on afternoon of october 21, 1969 (the day after funeral), in somali army seized power without encountering armed opposition — bloodless takeover. putsch spearheaded major general mohamed siad barre, @ time commanded army.

alongside barre, supreme revolutionary council (src) assumed power after president sharmarke s assassination led lieutenant colonel salaad gabeyre kediye , chief of police jama korshel. kediye officially held title of father of revolution, , barre shortly afterwards became head of src. src subsequently renamed country somali democratic republic, arrested members of former civilian government, banned political parties, dissolved parliament , supreme court, , suspended constitution.

functions , political programme

following 1969 coup d état, supreme revolutionary council took on duties of president, national assembly , council of ministers through proclamation of law number 1. military junta, src became de facto executive organ of new state , consisted of 25 exclusively military officials. old constitution nominally remained under perpetual suspension until src later repealed in 1970.

the revolutionary army established large-scale public works programs, including construction of mogadishu stadium. sought improve social position of women, using islamic precepts reference point. in addition nationalization program of industry , land, new regime s foreign policy placed emphasis on somalia s traditional , religious links arab world, joining arab league (al) in 1974.

the supreme revolutionary council attempted resolve outstanding issue of of various writing systems in use in somalia should officialized main national orthography. in october 1972, government unilaterally elected use modified latin script of linguist shire jama ahmed writing somali instead of arabic or osmanya scripts. subsequently launched large urban , rural literacy campaign designed ensure orthography s adoption, helped dramatically increase literacy rate.

the src further enacted number of reforms designed weaken influence of traditional lineage structures , processes, barre regarded potential threat rule. offences deemed clan-related punished fines , prison sentences, , traditional headmen employed previous civilian administration substituted hand-picked government peacekeepers (nabod doan). orientation centers likewise established, took on hosting duties marriage services. on 140,000 nomadic pastoralists resettled in littoral towns , agricultural areas additional aim of increasing productivity.

dissolution , reinstatement

in july 1976, barre s src disbanded , established in place somali revolutionary socialist party (srsp), one-party government based on scientific socialism , islamic tenets. srsp attempt reconcile official state ideology official state religion adapting marxist precepts local circumstances. emphasis placed on muslim principles of social progress, equality , justice, government argued formed core of scientific socialism , own accent on self-sufficiency, public participation , popular control, direct ownership of means of production. while srsp encouraged private investment on limited scale, administration s overall direction socialist.

after unsuccessful ogaden campaign of late 1970s, new constitution promulgated in 1979 under elections people s assembly held. however, barre s somali revolutionary socialist party politburo continued rule. in october 1980, srsp disbanded, , supreme revolutionary council re-established in place.