MOGADISHU, Somalia – Anger erupted on social media on Monday after Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud renamed the General Gordan training base in honor of Mohamed Mubarak Al Mansouri, a UAE colonel who, along with three others—including one from Bahrain—was killed earlier this year in an al-Shabaab shooting attack at the Gordan training camp in Mogadishu.
President Mohamud signed a decree officially renaming the base after Mohamed Mubarak Al Mansouri, making the change effective immediately upon his signature, which he did on Monday. The move sparked widespread outrage online.
Gordan is not just the name of a military base—it is also the name of General Ibrahim Mohamed Farah, a national hero who was killed along with four soldiers in an ambush attack in October 2012 near Merca, a strategic town about 91 km southwest of Mogadishu. General Farah was the first Somali general to be killed by al-Shabaab.
Who Was Al-Mansouri?
Before he was killed, Al-Mansouri served in Yemen, where the UAE has been heavily involved in regional conflicts. He was accused of torture, with survivors claiming they were detained and abused in secret prisons in Aden. Some also alleged that Al-Mansouri was responsible for the deaths of many detainees held by the Emirati-Saudi coalition.
Federal MP Yusuf Hussein Ahmed called the decision a great injustice, replacing the name of a general who died for his country with that of a foreign officer. He also said it was heartbreaking for the military, who viewed Farah as a role model.
“This action betrays the honor and value of the Somali National Army (SNA),” Ahmed said. “It also dishonors the name of a general who gave his life for his people and country by replacing it with a general from another country.”
Many people reacted to President Mohamud’s decision, accusing him of prioritizing foreign countries over his own. Some called his decree unacceptable. He also renamed Damanyo military base after Gen. Gordan, though both bases are in the same area of Mogadishu.
Who Is General Gordan?
General Mohamed Ibrahim “Gordan” was killed in 2012 during an al-Shabaab ambush near Merca, in the Lower Shabelle region, about 90 km southwest of Mogadishu. He joined the Somali National Army in 1969 and became one of its most active officers.
Gordan played a significant role in the 1977 war, earning a medal for his bravery. He studied military tactics in Russia and the U.S. and later served as a division commander. He also led operations to liberate Mogadishu and the Lower Shabelle region from al-Shabaab before his death in combat.
