Gen. Hirsi Morgan, Once Dubbed the ‘Butcher of Hargeisa’ Dies in Nairobi
GOOBJOOG NEWS|NAIROBI: General Mohamed Said Hirsi, popularly known as General Morgan, once dubbed the ‘Butcher of Hargeisa’ for his lead role in the 1988 massacres in Somaliland has died.
According to his family, Gen. Morgan died at a hospital in Nairobi. The former army general served in various roles during the Siad Barre regime and was also the son-in-law of the former military dictator.
He served as the defense minister from 1990 until January of the following year, when Gen. Mohamed Siad Barre was deposed and forced to leave the country.
Born in 1949, in Bari region of Somaliland, Gen. Morgan spent most of his life in the military gaining training in the US and Italy before taking up roles in the Somali National Army in post-colonial Somalia under military rule.
He became the commander of the Red Berets in 1982 and led the suppression of the SSDF in what became his signature role later in 1988 when he commandeered the bombing and mass civilian killings in Hargeisa. Some historians and various reports have put the number at up to 50,000 deaths. He was then the commander of the 26th division of the Somali National Army which battled the Somali National Movement (SNM) sought self-determination.
Following the collapse of the central government in January 26, 1991, Gen. Morgan fled to Kismayo, where he fought with General Mohamed Farah Aidid and Colonel Barre Aden Shire (Hiiraale).
He would later participate in peace processes, among them the 2024 conference in Nairobi, although the regional body IGAD branded him a spoiler. In 2016, Gen. Morgan attempted to secure a parliamentary seat but was forced to step down following immense international pressure.
Gen. Morgan’s death marks the end of an era for one of the most notable figures who were heavily involved in Somalia’s protracted military dictatorship that culminated in a decade-long civil war.