| Abdirahman Jama Barre | |
| Birth Place: | Luuq, Italian Somaliland |
| Death Place: | San Diego, California, United States |
| Office: | Minister of Finance of the Somali Democratic Republic |
| Term Start: | December 1987 |
| Term End: | April 1989 |
| Vicepresident: | Muhammad Ali Samatar |
| Predecessor: | Abdullahi Warsame Nur |
| Successor: | Mohamed Sheikh Osman |
| Office1: | Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Somali Democratic Republic |
| Term Start1: | 1989 |
| Term End1: | 1990 |
| Vicepresident1: | Muhammad Ali Samatar |
| Office2: | 1st Deputy Prime Minister of the Somali Democratic Republic |
| Term Start2: | 1987 |
| Term End2: | January 1991 |
| Vicepresident2: | Muhammad Ali Samatar |
| Predecessor2: | Office established |
| Office3: | Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Somali Democratic Republic |
| Term Start3: | July 27, 1977 |
| Term End3: | 1987 |
| Party: | Supreme Revolutionary Council |
| Otherparty: | Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party |
| Children: | 15 |
| Relations: | Mohamed Siad Barre |
| Alma Mater: | University of Padua |
Abdirahman Jama Barre (Somali: Cabdiraxmaan Jaamac Barre, Arabic: عبد الرحمن جامع بري; 1937 – 15 August 2017[1]) was a Somali politician. He twice served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Somali Democratic Republic, and later as the Minister of Finance.[2] He was the first Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia.
Abdirahman Jama Barre was born in 1937 in the southern town of Luuq, Italian Somaliland.[3] He hails from the Marehan Darod clan.[4] He was a cousin of former President of Somalia, Mohamed Siad Barre.[5] His brother, "Asasey", was also active in Somali politics.[6]
Barre pursued higher studies abroad. For his tertiary education, he earned a PhD in the early 1960s from the teaching faculty at the University of Padua in Padua, Italy.[5] Barre was married, and had seven children. He had eight children from his first marriage. He enjoyed lawn tennis.[3]
Barre began his professional career upon graduation from university. Initially, he briefly served as a headmaster.[3] In 1960, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Somali Republic's early civilian administration. He received his first diplomatic post the same year, working as a counsellor until 1964. Barre was concurrently promoted to Director of the ministry's Economic and Social Department as well as Director-General of its Social Department. He served as such for the next four years. Between 1969 and 1970, he was also the Acting Director-General of both departments.[3]
Following the bloodless 1969 coup d'état, Barre was named Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the new ruling Supreme Revolutionary Council (SRC) in 1970. He subsequently became a member of the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (SSRP) in 1976, sitting on the political association's Central Committee.[3]
In July 1977, Barre was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs.[7] He represented the Somali Democratic Republic in this capacity at the United Nations General Assembly.[8]
Along with then Foreign Minister of Ethiopia Foreign Minister of Ethiopia Goshu Wolde, Jama Barre was also part of a seven-person Somalia-Ethiopia committee. The intergovernmental panel was formed in 1986.[9]
Toward the end of 1987, Barre was appointed the 1st Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia.[3] Abdiqassim Salad Hassan served alongside him as the 2nd Deputy Prime Minister.[10] Jama was concurrently named Minister of Finance and Treasury.[3] [11] In 1989, he was reappointed Foreign Minister, with his second term in the office lasting a year.[12] He would hold both 1st Deputy Prime and Finance Minister positions until the collapse of the central government in January 1991.[3] [11]
Barre was part of the governmental Suhl (Reconciliation) group, of which Abdiqassim Salad Hassan, who would go on to become President of Somalia, was a key founder.[13]
In 2004, following the establishment of the Transitional Federal Government, Barre presented himself as a candidate for President of Somalia. He lost out to then President of the autonomous Puntland region, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed.[12]