Thirty-one years ago, two Kenyan pilots, Hussein Mohamed Anshuur and Mohamed Adan, found themselves at the centre of a delicate and covert mission – to secretly transport the body of former Somali ruler Siad Barre from Nigeria to his homeland for burial. The request, made by a Nigerian diplomat, came as a shock to the pilots, who had previously flown essential supplies to Barre’s family during their exile.
Anshuur and Adan, partners in Bluebird Aviation, one of Kenya’s largest private airlines, were initially hesitant, aware of the political sensitivities involved. Barre had fled Somalia in 1991 after being overthrown, and his return was fraught with diplomatic challenges. The pilots feared the Kenyan authorities could uncover their plans and cause serious problems.
After careful deliberation, the pilots agreed to the mission, but only after securing guarantees from the Nigerian government that they would take responsibility if anything went wrong. They then devised a meticulous plan to ensure the journey remained a secret, filing a false flight manifest and exploiting gaps in regional radar coverage.
Barre’s son, Ayaanle Mohamed Siad Barre, explained that the secrecy was not about hiding anything illegal, but rather due to the Islamic tradition that requires a burial to take place as soon as possible. The Nigerian government had also informed the pilots that Barre’s hometown of Garbaharey had a runway too small for a military aircraft, necessitating the use of Bluebird Aviation.
The pilots’ journey was a complex one, involving stops in Uganda and Cameroon before finally reaching Lagos, where Barre’s family was waiting. On January 12, 1995, the wooden casket containing Barre’s remains was loaded onto the aircraft, and the pilots retraced their route, with the two Nigerian government officials and six members of Barre’s family on board.
Anshuur recounted the “most stressful” part of the mission, as they neared Garbaharey, where they feared being stopped. To avoid detection, they informed the Wilson Airport authorities that they were arriving from Mandera, a town in northeastern Kenya.
The pilots’ daring and secretive mission was a testament to their commitment to fulfilling the final wishes of the former Somali ruler. Anshuur, now 65 years old, acknowledges that such an operation would be virtually impossible today, given the advancements in aviation technology and improved air traffic radar coverage across the African continent.
