Overview
Mohamed Abshir Muse (Somali: Maxamed Abshir Muuse; Arabic: محاميد أبشير موسى) (1 July 1926 – 25 October 2017) was a prominent Somali military and police leader. He is best known for being the first commander of the national Somali Police Force in the years following independence and for his later stance against authoritarian rule.
Early life and training
Born in 1926, Muse received military and police training during the period when Somali institutions were being formed after the end of colonial administrations. He underwent professional instruction with the Italian Carabinieri, gaining experience in gendarmerie-style policing and organization. This training influenced his approach to building a national police service suited to Somalia's needs.
Career and leadership of the police force
In the early post-independence era, Muse rose to become the first commander of the Somali Police Force. In that capacity he worked on organizing command structures, training programs, and routines intended to transform disparate colonial-era constabularies into a centralized, national service. Accounts emphasize his role in institution-building rather than in partisan politics during his tenure.
Resignation and opposition
Muse resigned from his position in 1969 amid a turbulent period in Somali politics. In the years that followed he became an outspoken critic of the government of Siad Barre and the regime that came to power after the 1969 coup. His criticism led to persecution and imprisonment by the authorities, making him one of several senior security figures who fell out with the ruling government.
Later life and death
After years marked by political repression in Somalia, Muse spent his later life away from the country. He died on 25 October 2017 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the age of 91. His death was noted by Somali communities and observers who remembered his early contributions to the country's security institutions.
Legacy
Mohamed Abshir Muse is remembered for his pioneering role in establishing a national police force in Somalia and for the principled stance he took as a critic of authoritarian rule. Contemporary discussions of Somali policing and security reform often refer back to the formative period in which he served. While assessments of his career vary, his name remains associated with the transition from colonial-era policing to an independent national service.
- Born: 1 July 1926
- First Commander of the Somali Police Force
- Trained with the Italian Carabinieri
- Died: 25 October 2017 in Minneapolis, Minnesota