Hangash
Encyclopedia
The Hangash aSomali
acronym standing for Military Intelligence Unit) was a notorious secret police unit in Somalia
under the regime of Siad Barré
until its collapse in 1991.
. As the Barré government's crackdown on political activity became more severe, however, the Hangash acquired direct powers in civilian matters, overlapping with those of NSS. According to a 1993 Country Study published by the U.S. Library of Congress, "[e]ventually, the Hangash, which operated without legal authority, became more feared than the NSS."
When the NSS was formally dissolved in 1990, many of its activities were subsumed by the Hangash and other institutions comprising the security apparatus of the Barré regime, such as the Mobile Military Court (MMC), the Regional Security Council (RSC), and the Victory Pioneers
.
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
acronym standing for Military Intelligence Unit) was a notorious secret police unit in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
under the regime of Siad Barré
Siad Barre
Mohamed Siad Barre was the military dictator and President of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969 to 1991. During his rule, he styled himself as Jaalle Siyaad ....
until its collapse in 1991.
Overview
Created in the aftermath of the 1978 coup attempt, the official purpose of the Hangash was to maintain surveillance over the Somali Armed Forces and the more widely-known National Security ServiceNational Security Service (Somalia)
The National Security Service was the primary intelligence service of the government of Siad Barre and the bedrock of its repressive internal security apparatus, existing from 1970 until 1990 when it was formally abolished.- Organization and structure :...
. As the Barré government's crackdown on political activity became more severe, however, the Hangash acquired direct powers in civilian matters, overlapping with those of NSS. According to a 1993 Country Study published by the U.S. Library of Congress, "[e]ventually, the Hangash, which operated without legal authority, became more feared than the NSS."
When the NSS was formally dissolved in 1990, many of its activities were subsumed by the Hangash and other institutions comprising the security apparatus of the Barré regime, such as the Mobile Military Court (MMC), the Regional Security Council (RSC), and the Victory Pioneers
Victory Pioneers (Somalia)
The Victory Pioneers were a neighborhood-level internal security unit active in the closing years of the Siad Barré regime in Somalia, until its ousting in 1991. Numbering approximately 10,000, they were also known as the "People's Militia".-Synopsis:...
.