An Afternoon with Nadhi Gamada and Abba Yusuf, Mogadishu (1985)

[Waachis]

An Afternoon with Nadhi Gamada and Abba Yusuf, Mogadishu (1985)
By: Jilcha Hamid


"I brought you a guest today" said Abba Yusuf as he entered and greeted my father. Abba Yusuf was the organizations envoy in Mogadishu for almost 20 years. He was practically raised by the organization and was in charge of all of it's dealings in the city. On this occasion he was hosting the OLF's Head of Political Affairs, Nadhi Gamada, who was in Mogadishu to officially open diplomatic relations with the Somali gov't. The meeting was brief and they agreed to meet again the next day for lunch.

When Nadhi arrived in Mogadishu he was briefed by Somali National Security, who told him that he was free to move about in the city. But they placed undercover agents outside of his hotel to watch him. This was done so that they can identify and gather information on OLF members in Mogadishu (incase relations went bad and they needed to round them up in the future). However, Abba Yusuf came up with a clever plan and they were able to meet at the restaurant without raising suspicion.

Sitting at a shaded table of an outdoor cafe Nadhi opened up. He spoke about everything from diplomatic relations with the Somali gov't to life in the bush. He talked about the hardship they faced, the grief of losing comrades.

"When the village that fed you yesterday, is burned down by the militia. When the comrade you laughed with today, and bury him the next day. A person would never live this life for a million dollars. But we do it happily."

Nadhi even joked that he had been in the bush for so long, that he forgot how to even walk on the street like a civilian. He was relateable. My father recalled that after spending a day or two with him, he felt as though he was talking to one of his siblings. One of the skills that Nadhi had, was that he knew exactly what you wanted to hear, so he would answer all your questions before you had a chance to ask. This is something that I also heard Sh. Xaliileeysaa say in his recent OMN interview when talking about Nadhi. The only time Nadhi had difficulty speaking about a topic, was when it came to the OLF/IFLO infighting which was going on at the time.

After completing his diplomatic assignment Nadhi returned to Oromia. OLF relations with the Somali gov't were rocky throughout the early 1980's. But after Nadhi's visit, relations never broke down again. I believe there were 2 reasons for this:

1. Before that the Somali gov't had a strict policy of only dealing with the so called Somali Abbo Liberation Front (which were active in Bale/Sidamo) and Somali Galbeed (which had been active in Harar during the Ethio-Somali border war). Both groups had collapsed by the mid 1980's and the Barre regime understood that they needed to work with the OLF.

2. Nadhi had a more relateable character and approach than prior OLF diplomats. He built not just official relations, but personal relations with high ranking military and political officials.

Nadhi continued his duties until the collapse of the derg and TGE period. Afterwhich he was tasked to head the OLF's southern wing. He eventually went missing when the TGE collapsed and armed conflict resumed in the Summer of 1992. Although nothing has been confirmed about his whereabouts, one of the people who reported to him at the time say that he was captured at Arba Gugu and killed.

Abba Yusuf was also martyred in Nairobi in 1999. May God have mercy on them.

[Waachis]

Abba Yusuf, born Muhammad Amin, hails from the Jarso county of eastern Hararge. Like many young men following the Ethio-Somali war he sought refuge in Somalia. He joined the OLF where his talent was immediately recognized and his discipline and commitment helped him quickly rise through the ranks of the organization. While attending Gamal Abdelnasser School in Mogadishu as a full time student Abba Yusuf was entrusted as the organizations envoy in Mogadishu. He was remembered as charismatic and friendly, but also a skilled diplomat and politician. Throughout the 1980's as Chargé d'affaires he facilitated the organizations dealings with the government of Somalia up until the fall of the regime. It is not known whether he remained in Somalia during the civil war, but his last known assignment was facilitating the Congress in Mogadishu in 1998. Abba Yusuf soon left to Nairobi, Kenya where he paid the ultimate sacrifice. Rabbi rahmata isaatiin haa qananiisu.

[TheLoFather]

Interesting!......but why must we care about dead Gaala terrorists?

[Waachis]

Interesting!......but why must we care about dead Gaala terrorists?

if your shirtam zoomali azz don't care, then don't comment

[Adali]

Interesting!......but why must we care about dead Gaala terrorists?

if your shirtam zoomali azz don't care, then don't comment

first of all the individual you are responding to is not Somali but Sacsac Muse you can see it in his name, thelofather means the cow father, Sacsac Muse.

furthermore he is hyprid Galla he is not true Somali, but just like the African Americans hates his African ancestors the Sacsac Muse hate their Oromo ancestors.

No Somali calls Oromo freedom fighters terrorist, that should be enough of an indicator.

[Khalid Ali]

Olf had no real support with in the oromo. Mengistu had the most oromo generals and colonels. I think mengistu gave oromo a good fair share of the govt. As for olf they were separatist and had only support among the karrayu afranqallo arsi and borana. The rest had it good under Ethiopia

[luis1]

Waachis:

Before that the Somali gov't had a strict policy of only dealing with the so called Somali Abbo Liberation Front (which were active in Bale/Sidamo) and Somali Galbeed (which had been active in Harar during the Ethio-Somali border war). Both groups had collapsed by the mid 1980's and the Barre regime understood that they needed to work with the OLF.

Which groups are you talking about?

[Waachis]

Olf had no real support with in the oromo. Mengistu had the most oromo generals and colonels. I think mengistu gave oromo a good fair share of the govt. As for olf they were separatist and had only support among the karrayu afranqallo arsi and borana. The rest had it good under Ethiopia

that's a lie, actually. it's problem was, it wasn't given a chance to fully mobilize its people, or be among them. the derg operations were efficient by keeping it away from the main base of its people.
OLF went from 10,000 to 50,000 soldiers in just 1-2 years when the derg collapsed.
its better if u remain quiet if u do not know what ur talking bout bro.
OLF had support in wallaga, shoa, harar, bale, arsi, everywhere it went.
nobody had it good under the derg. that's another lie.
my family lived through it, i am not just talking, to talk, i am talking based on real life, son.

[Waachis]

Waachis:

Before that the Somali gov't had a strict policy of only dealing with the so called Somali Abbo Liberation Front (which were active in Bale/Sidamo) and Somali Galbeed (which had been active in Harar during the Ethio-Somali border war). Both groups had collapsed by the mid 1980's and the Barre regime understood that they needed to work with the OLF.

Which groups are you talking about?

SALF and WSLF. there was no ONLF at the time.

[luis1]

But ONLF was created in 1984, the same date of the article.

[Waachis]

But ONLF was created in 1984, the same date of the article.

correct-but did not have any military effect until the 1990s and so on.


https://books.google.com/books?id=LYIYD ... 84&f=false

[luis1]

Question

Why do you think SALF and WSLF collapsed in 1985?

[Waachis]

Question

Why do you think SALF and WSLF collapsed in 1985?

the operations of the ethiopian army

[luis1]

Question


Could you talk us more about the decline of WSLF and SALF?

[TheLoFather]

Question

Why do you think SALF and WSLF collapsed in 1985?

They were planned to fail....incompetency and lack of organisational skills.