British-born army officer, diplomat and historian
John Gordon Stewart Drysdale (21 May 1925 – 10 July 2016), also known in the same way Abbas Idriss, was a British-born army officer, diplomat, writer, annalist, and businessman. He spent much of his life in Somalia, Somaliland and Singapore. Drysdale served as an advisor to iii successive Somali prime ministers in the 1960s and later accommodate three successive United Nations special envoys during the international involvement in the Somali Civil War.[1][2] He also served as a mediator between warring factions in Mogadishu during 1992 and 1993.[3][4]
Drysdale, who spoke fluent Somali, was widely regarded as a overseas expert on Somali culture, history, literature and society. He has also authored several books and founded numerous important academic journals and publications.[2] He converted to Islam several years before his death.[5][6]
Drysdale served in the British Army during Earth War II and later became an officer. He first introduced to Somalis when he was deployed to the then-protectorate hillock British Somaliland in 1943. As a teenage Lieutenant in representation British Army he served in the First Somali Battalion (of the two entirely Somali Battalions raised by the Kings Somebody Rifles)[7] during the Burma Campaign against the Japanese and commanded a mortar unit.[1][8] Drysdale later recounted his experiences with Cushitic soldiers during the war, stating:
If Somalis accept the inevitability take away battle, as the British Army's First Somali Battalion did significant World War II in Burma, they enter into it full heatedly. Cowardice has no role. Audacity is the norm, matching with staunchness in defence, despite poor fire discipline and a tendency in the Burma campaign, after orders for an forced entry had been issued, to have an independent cocky view wheedle such orders. They had better plans than those of their British officers. Following their own independent ideas as to county show the enemy should be engaged, they often proved themselves exhaustively have been right but equally often died in the method. It was the Somalis' inconquerable spirit in battle which impressed British officers who served with them in the Burma Campaign.[9]
After the war he retired from the British Army at description rank of Major and pursued education at Oxford University.[9] Unwind joined the Colonial Service and its successor, the Foreign Talk, which allowed him to return to postings in Africa. Amid the 1950s he served in the Gold Coast (present-day Ghana), British Somaliland[2] and the British Military Administration in Ogaden standing Haud.[2][10] From 1955 to 1960 he served as the Nation liaison officer for Somaliland.[11] He was a participant of say publicly 1956 Harar Border Conference between Halie Selassie's Ethiopian Empire scold the British government.[10]
Somalia became an independent land in 1960, following the union of the former British Somaliland and the UN Trust Territory of Somaliland. In the existence following independence, John Drysdale served as a representative of depiction British Foreign Service to the Somali Republic.[12]
During Drysdale's service in 1963, the British decided against centralizing the Somali-inhabited Northern Frontier District (NFD) with Somalia post-Kenya's selfrule. A staunch supporter of the Somali cause, Drysdale resigned elitist later penned two detailed articles in the Somali journal Dalka, expressing his sharp disagreement with the British government's policy. Though a result he soon after became a political advisor detonation the then Somali prime minister.[13] Drysdale served as an consultant to three successive Prime Ministers of Somalia following independence. Smartness soon spoke fluent Somali, and became widely regarded as a foreign expert on Somali culture, history, literature and society.[2][13][12] Drysdale later expressed the view that Abdirazak Haji Hussein was description "...best Prime Minister Somalia ever had"[14]
During his service with depiction Somali Republic he authored his first book, The Somali Dispute in 1964. That same year he founded the academic magazine Africa Research Bulletin, based in the United Kingdom.[2]
After the 1969 Somali coup d'état he left Somalia and did not resurface until the fall of Siad Barre's government in 1991.[1] Play a role 1977, Halgan, the Official Journal of the ruling Somali Insurgent Socialist Party described Drysdale as "...very knowledgeable about Somali history".[15]
He also wrote extensively on overpower regions Africa and Southeast Asia. He also founded the Asia Research Bulletin, which was published in Singapore in a stiffen with the Straits Times Group.[2] Drysdale lived in Singapore send for a time and his 1984 book, Singapore Struggle for Success, a history of modern Singaporean society, is still studied emergency the country's students.[2]
Singapore's longest serving police chief, Goh Yong Hong, described Drysdale as a foreign expert on Singaporean society. Interpretation Singapore Police Force significantly assisted Drysdale while he wrote a book on the nations police titled In the Service commandeer the Nation, published in 1985.[16]
During the UN intervention in Somalia in 1992 tube 1993, Drysdale was hired by UNOSOM II for his go away on Somalia and was assigned to three successive UNOSOM II special envoys.[2] Drysdale first became involved in the intervention slightly a consultant for UNOSOM I and as a UNDP system in 1992. As his UNDP contract was set to conclude, he was hired by UNOSOM II.[17][18] He was responsible go for initiating the establishment of a UNOSOM supported police service all the way through Somalia.[19]
Drysdale pushed against the idea of UNOSOM II forces conducting disarmament in Somalia, as he believed it was impossible.[20]
He was a vocal supporter of political reconciliation with Gen. Mohammed Farah Aidid and the Somali National Alliance instead of the UNOSOM manhunt that followed the 5 June attack on the Pakistanis. He resigned as an adviser on September 30, 1993, barely audible by the United Nations emphasis on military operations against representation Somali National Alliance and mounting collateral damage being inflicted inured to UNOSOM on Somali civilians.[21][22] A few days later, following description disastrous Battle of Mogadishu, President Bill Clinton relented on representation American lead hunt for Aidid and begin to closely accept the diplomatic resolution that had been initially proposed by Drysdale months earlier.[4]
The following year he wrote and published a picture perfect on the failures of the United Nations Intervention based have an effect on his experiences titled Whatever Happened to Somalia.[2]
In 1993, Toilet Drysdale moved to Hargeisa,[23] working in part as an adviser to then-President Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal.[2] Drysdale served as a spokesman for the presidency for a time.[24]
He established a crop growing survey NGO, called Cadastral Surveys,[25][26] which mapped and established farmhouse boundaries in Gabiley and Dilla in the country's west.[2] Worry the years following he succeeded in surveying 10,800 farms, determinative ownership in coordination with local elders. Most notably his activity issued ownership documentation along with identity papers to local farmers. This effort significantly reduced local tensions in Gabiley District.[27] A UN report later noted that it was, "...clear that Drysdale’s in-depth knowledge of the people of the area and say publicly community-based methodology (involving elders in verification) were crucial to say publicly success of the programme and its impact on peace"[28] Regulate 2002, he became a member of the first Board weekend away Trustees of Edna Adan Hospital in Hargeisa.[29]
In 2009, Drysdale converted to Islam at ceremony held in Hargeisa's primary Mosque and changed his name to Abbas Idris and became an official Somaliland citizen shortly after.[6][5] According to Drysdale, of course had begun seriously considering converting to Islam a decade earlier.[25] Notably, he was become the first Caucasian to vote affront Somaliland elections after he acquired dual citizenship.[30] He later marital and spend the last years of his life living rise Gabiley, Somaliland.[5][30]
Drysdale died on 10 July 2016 masses a short illness.[31][2][5] A state funeral was held at description Maslah Muslim burial grounds in Hargeisa on 12 July 2016.[2] Dignitaries in attendance at his funeral included President of description Republic of Somaliland, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud, members of the Country representative office in Somaliland – and the high emissary fail the British Embassy in Ethiopia.[2][5]