page_title: 1961 revolt in Somalia
section_title: Revolt
hierarchical_section_title: 1961 revolt in Somalia / Revolt
caption_attribution_description: English: Daud Abdulle Hirsi, father of the Somali Military
context_page_description: The 1961 revolt in Somalia was a unsuccessful revolt and coup d'état attempt in northern Somalia which took place in December 1961. The coup plotters, a group of northern junior officers, intended to restore the independence of the State of Somaliland.
context_section_description: In addition to these tensions, there were also personal grievances among several officers of northern descent. They felt that officers from the south who had been appointed as their superiors following the unification were poorly educated and unfit as commanders. In addition, it was suspected that the government preferred Italian-trained officers from the south over British-trained officers from the north. A group of at least 24 junior officers, including several who had been trained in Great Britain, eventually conspired to end the union between Somalia and Somaliland. One of the coup plotters was Hussein Ali Duale who later became a leading Somaliland separatist politician. The conspirators believed that they enjoyed the support of General Daud Abdulle Hirsi, head of the Somali National Army.
  When the coup plotters launched their revolt in December 1961, they wanted to take over major towns in Somaliland. Researcher Ken Menkhaus argued that the coup attempt had "no chance of success" from the start, as the coup plotters did not enjoy majority support among the northern population or the local troops. One group of junior officer seized control of the radio station in Hargeisa, announcing their intentions and that they were supported by General Hirsi. Another group of coup plotters attempted arrest superior officers of southern origin in the town of Burao, but failed. 
  The government in Mogadishu was surprised at the revolt, but reacted quickly. General Hirsi declared via Radio Mogadishu that he was not involved in the revolt, whereupon non-commissioned officers of northern origin moved against the coup members in Hargeisa. The loyalists retook Radio Hargeisa, killing one coup member. The revolt was put down in a matter of hours. All surviving coup members were arrested.
caption: The coup plotters believed that they were supported by General Daud Abdulle Hirsi (pictured 1963), even though the latter fully backed the central government.
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