Barre Adan Shire Hiiraale

Barre Hiiraale was born in Geladin, which today is part of the Ogaden region in Ethiopia. He later moved to neighbouring Abudwak in the Galgadud region of Somalia, and from there on to Mogadishu for secondary school. For his post-secondary education, Hiiraale attended the prestigious United States Military Academy at West Point.[1] That scholarship and patronage were part of Cold War-era treaties signed by Mogadishu and Washington in exchange for Washington's use of naval facilities in the coastal Somali cities of Kismayo, Mogadishu, and Berbera. Hiiraale returned to Somalia with a degree in Military Science, as well as Political Relations in military warfare.

In the years of the Somali Civil War, he served as the commander of the Somali National Front (SNF).[1] Under Col. Hirale's command, the SNF defeated the forces of Mohamed Farah Aidid and his USC in the Gedo region. The SNF then took control of Kismayo and the Lower Jubba region with the defeat and ousting of Mohammed Said Hersi "Morgan" and his SRRC Allied militias composed of the Ogaden SPM, the Harti SSDF, and the Rahanweyn RRA.

He was chairman of the Juba Valley Alliance (Isbahaysiga Dooxada Juba), which declared autonomy from the rest of Somalia in 1998, and controlled Kismayo and the Juba Valley until the defeat of his forces by the ICU in 2006.

On August 6, 2001, after 10 days of heavy fighting in a battle involving 40 technicals and 1,000 militiamen, the JVA took the town of Jilib from the SRRC.[2]

With hopes to end the violence, Col. Hirale participated in the Somali Reconciliation Conference, held in Eldoret, Kenya, in 2002.[3]

Col. Hirale serves as Defense Minister in Somalia's Transitional Federal Government. In November 2005, he was instrumental in making a compromise proposal to help establish the TFG.[4]

He suffered the loss of Kismayo in September 2006,[5] and further defeat during ICU's takeover of the Juba Valley in October 2006.[6] On October 14, his wife was arrested in Kismayo, along with a number of other women.[7]

He regrouped his forces in Gedo region, and successfully lead the counterattacking TFG forces, who, alongside Ethiopian troops, won successive battles during December 2006, eventually forcing the ICU back to Mogadishu, where, on December 29, the TFG and Ethiopian forces took Mogadishu.

Retaking the Juba Valley

Fall of Mogadishu and advance on Kismayo, December 27–29, 2006

On December 29, 2006, TFG forces under Defense Minister (and former head of the Juba Valley Alliance) Barre Adan Shire Hiiraale entered Bu'aale, approximately 150 km north of Kismayo.[8] Ethiopian jets continued to patrol over Jilib,[9] and a column of 15 tanks was reported heading towards Bu'aale and Jilib. The Islamic militia reportedly mined the road to Jilib.[10]

Battle of Jilib

Main articles: Battle of Jilib and Fall of Kismayo

On December 31, 2006, the Battle of Jilib determined the control of the approaches to Kismayo. The result of the battle was the retaking of Kismayo on January 1, 2007, which was abandoned by ICU forces.

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