# Chief of Defence Force (Somalia)

The Chief of Defence Force (Somali: Taliyaha Ciidanka Xooga Somaaliyeed) is the professional head of the Somali Armed Forces. He is responsible for the administration and the operational control of all branches of the Somali military (Army, Navy and Air Force) and thus is the direct superior to both the Chief of the Navy and the Chief of the Air Force. The post has however only been held by Army officers and the term limit is 2 years. Typically the rank held by the Chiefs is brigadier general, though some, notable Dahir Adan Elmi were granted the rank of major general.
Odawa Raage served from 22 August 2019 to June 2023. He was promoted to major-general in the last days of his tenure, being listed as such in a Somali government briefing of June 21, 2023. He was reappointed on 9 November 2024.

## List of Chiefs
### Somali Republic and Somali Democratic Republic (1960–1991)

| No. | Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. |
| 1 | Jaale Major general Daud Abdulle Hirsi (1925–1965) | 12 April 1960 | 1965 † | 4–5 years | |
| 2 | Barre, SiadJaale Major general Siad Barre (1910–1995) | 1965 | 1969 | 3–4 years | |
| 3 | Jaale Lieutenant general Ali Samatar (1931–2016) | 1969 | 1991 | 17–18 years | – |

### Transitional Federal Government (2004–2012)

| No. | Chief of Army | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. |
| 1 | Naji, Ismail QasimMajor general Ismail Qasim Naji | 15 April 2005 | 10 February 2007 | 1 year, 301 days | |
| 2 | Omar, Abdullahi AliMajor general Abdullahi Ali Omar (born 1947) | 10 February 2007 | 21 July 2007 | 161 days | [8][9] [10] |
| 3 | Jama, Salah HassanMajor general Salah Hassan Jama | 21 July 2007 | 11 June 2008 | 326 days | |
| 4 | Jama, Said DheereMajor general Said Dheere Mohamed | 11 June 2008 | 14 May 2009 | 337 days | |
| 5 | Dhumal, Yusuf OsmanMajor general Yusuf Osman Dhumal | 15 May 2009 | 6 December 2009 | 205 days | |
| 6 | Kahiye, Mohamed GelleMajor general Mohamed Gelle Kahiye | 6 December 2009 | 6 September 2010 | 274 days | |
| 7 | Gedi, Ahmed JimaleMajor general Ahmed Jimale Gedi | 6 September 2010 | 29 March 2011 | 204 days | - |
| 8 | Dini, Abdulkadir Sh.Major general Abdulkadir Sheikh Dini | 29 March 2011 | 13 March 2013 | 1 year, 349 days | |

### Federal Government (2012–present)

| No. | Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 1 | Elmi, Dahir AdanMajor general Dahir Adan Elmi | 13 March 2013 | 25 June 2014 | 1 year, 104 days |
| 2 | Anod, AbdullahiMajor general Abdullahi Anod | 25 June 2014 | 24 September 2015 | 1 year, 91 days |
| 3 | Ahmed, Mohamed AdamMajor general Mohamed Adam Ahmed (born 1950) | 24 September 2015 | 5 April 2017 | 1 year, 193 days |
| 4 | Jimale, Ahmed MMajor general Ahmed Mohamed Jimale | 5 April 2017 | 12 October 2017 | 190 days |
| 5 | Hussein, Abdiweli JMajor general Abdiweli Jama Hussein Gorod | 12 October 2017 | 16 August 2018 | 308 days |
| (1) | Elmi, Dahir AdanMajor general Dahir Adan Elmi | 16 August 2018 | 27 August 2020 | 2 years, 11 days |
| 6 | Rageh, Odowa YusufMajor general Odowaa Yusuf Rageh | 27 August 2020 | 19 June 2023 | 2 years, 296 days |
| 7 | Muhyadin Addow, Ibrahim SheikhMajor general Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyadin Addow | 19 June 2023 | 9 November 2024 | 1 year, 143 days |
| (6) | Rageh, Odowa YusufMajor general Odowaa Yusuf Rageh | 9 November 2024 | Incumbent | 95 days |