Draft:Elmi Nuur Tareey

Elmi Nuur Hirsi Ali (Tarey) (Somali:Cilmi Nuur Xirsi Ali; Arabic: علمي نور حرسي علي;) was a Somali military official who served his nation from 1950 until 1977. One of ten officers in 1957, he underwent military training abroad while pursuing studies in Italy, alongside General Aideed and Abdullahi Yusuf among others, all of whom would later play significant roles in the country's history.

In November of 1959, shortly before Somalia attained independence in July 1960, the Somali military initiated a nationwide recruitment initiative. Subsequently, all enlisted individuals were relocated to Bottega base, currently known as Xalane, and were organized into 8 distinct divisions, each under the command of an appointed officer. Elmi Nuur was designated as the leader of the fourth division.

Leading the Hiraan front, he commanded a unit of the Somali National Army in Ethiopia during the 1964 Ethiopian-Somali border conflict, ultimately receiving the highest military decorations for his service in defence of the nation. Notably, his actions in capturing and eliminating over 200 Ethiopian soldiers during the war drew the attention of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie. He later participated in the Ogaden War, commanding the Godey front and playing a pivotal role in the JigJiga theater.

Elmi was well known for his outspoken criticism of then-President Mohammed Siad Barre. Barre had prevented Elmi from advancing in his military career and discharged him from the army following the coup. Despite this, Elmi was eventually reinstated to partake in the conflict of 1977. The relationship between the two individuals became increasingly strained during a meeting called by Barre amidst the Ogaden conflict, where Elmi's reluctance to adhere to Barre's instructions resulted in a heated confrontation. Subsequent to Elmi's muttered remark calling Barre a 'brutal dictator,' Barre insisted that he retract his statement and eventually commanded Elmi to be imprisoned. Although Elmi was eventually released, he passed away shortly after being admitted to Digfeer Hospital for medical treatment having spent the majority of Siad Barre's presidency imprisoned.