Background
Hussein Afrah was born in 1920, Somalia.
Hussein Afrah was born in 1920, Somalia.
On February 23, 1970, he was appointed Secretary of State for the Interior. A tolerant rather than decisive personality, he has an extensive circle of Somali friends. He is an authority on Somali languages and speaks most dialects in the country, but is not an English speaker.
Following the outbreak of the civil war in 1991, Kulmiye among other Hawiye Officers were not arrested nor expelled from Mogadishu. Instead all Hawiye Clan officials who served the Barre regime were reinvented as Somali Heroes.
At the time of the coup in October 1969 he wanted assurance that no outside interests were involved. His age, influence and authority give him a position close to the centre of power.
An amicable, down-to-earth, uncomplicated figure with a police background. He was aide-de-camp to President Osman in 1960 and is generally considered to be one of the least ideological of the Somali leaders.