Wealthy northern merchants actively financed Somali presidential campaigns in 1967

Evidence

Despite Osman’s well-known reticence to seek another term and his unflinching opposition to asking others to support him, groups of MPs and other notables regularly visited Osman during the first six months of 1967 to offer their support in the campaign. Among the people who approached Osman several times and offered him monetary support was one of the wealthiest merchants from northern Somalia, Haji Ahmed Haji Abdillahi, known as Hashish. Osman noted in his diary, “Received the big northern merchant Haji Ahmed Haji Abdillahi Hashish. He asked me to accept starting now re-election, declaring himself disposed to send as much money as possible to see me re-elected.” — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 919