Osman Ali Atto facts for kids

Osman Hassan Ali Atto (born 1940 – died August 5, 2013), also known as Ato, was an important Somali businessman and a leader during a difficult time in Somalia. He was part of a group called the Somali National Alliance.

Early Life and Business

Osman Atto was a very successful businessman. He owned many buildings in Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia. These buildings were often rented by aid groups and news companies.

He also had a large company that used trucks to transport gasoline. This business operated from a special truck yard in Eldoret, Kenya. From there, he shipped gasoline to countries like Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda. People said his relatives helped him run this business. Besides his Somali passport, Atto also used passports from Kenya, the United States, and possibly Italy.

Atto was also involved in the construction business. He owned many trucks and heavy machines, which made him a top choice for big building projects by Western companies. He was even called "Monsieur Dozer" by international oil companies. This nickname showed how good he was at clearing land and building roads to difficult places. His success in business made him very powerful even before other leaders became well-known.

Role in the Somali Civil War

When the Somali Civil War began in 1990, Osman Atto was already a wealthy and important person. He had worked as a manager for an American oil company. Later, he started his own oil company. In the early 1990s, he also bought a share in an airline company called Bluebird Aviation.

During the early 1990s, Atto was the second-in-command to Mohamed Farrah Aidid, who was a very strong leader at the time.

Capture and the Film Black Hawk Down

On September 21, 1993, Osman Atto was captured by a special American military team called Task Force Ranger. This event happened near a hospital in Mogadishu. The military team had tried to capture him before, but just missed him.

His capture was later shown in the 2001 movie Black Hawk Down. However, Atto said in an interview with the BBC that many parts of the movie were not true. He felt that the actor who played him did not look like him. Also, he said that in the movie, his character made fun of his captors, but in real life, he was worried they might kill him. Atto also mentioned that he was not asked for permission to be in the movie, and the scene showing his arrest had many mistakes. For example, he said he was traveling in only one car, not three, and his car was shot many times.

Peace Efforts

On July 9, 1994, Osman Atto signed a peace agreement at the Lower Jubba Peace Conference. He signed it as a representative for the Somali National Alliance (SNA). General Hersi Morgan from the Somali National Front (SNF) also signed the agreement. However, some groups in Lower Jubba did not join the agreement, so it did not lead to lasting peace.

Conflict with Aidid

On June 15, 1995, General Aidid announced that he had formed a government and was elected president by his group. But at the same time, his own group split apart. Osman Atto then declared that he was the true chairman of the Somali National Alliance. Aidid's government was not recognized by other countries and could not control the parts of the city it claimed.

Fighting broke out between Atto's forces and General Aidid's forces in South Mogadishu. Many people were killed in these conflicts. Sadly, Atto's son was also killed by a sniper during this time.

On April 27, 1996, Atto's group decided to start using sharia (Islamic laws and courts) in southern Mogadishu, where his forces were trying to gain control. They formed a committee to set up these courts and asked Islamic leaders for help. Islamic courts were already in place in northern Mogadishu, which was controlled by Ali Mahdi Mohammed, who was Atto's new ally.

Later, Osman Atto was accused of being involved in some serious incidents. For example, the United States Department of State suggested he was connected to the killing of Yusuf Tallan, a former general. Also, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said Atto was responsible for an attack on July 26, 2000. In this attack, about fifty armed men attacked the office of a non-profit organization called Action Internationale contre la Faim (ACF). Two international staff members were taken hostage but were later released. Atto's men were also accused of attacking a World Food Programme (WFP) aid convoy near Mogadishu on July 14, 2001, where six people were killed.

In 2004, a committee from the United Nations Security Council described Atto as someone who showed how stealing and using Somalia's resources helped pay for the fighting.

Transitional Federal Government (TFG)

In 2006, Osman Atto worked to bring peace between the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Islamic Courts Union (ICU). He told the media that he supported the ICU's efforts to remove illegal checkpoints in and around the capital city.

On July 27, 2006, Atto and 18 other ministers resigned from the government. Atto said he had reached an agreement with the Islamic courts for new peace talks. However, he felt that Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Ghedi was preventing progress.

On May 30, Atto was kidnapped by the ICU while driving to Mogadishu. The ICU was fighting against Ethiopian troops and Somali government soldiers. The Islamic Courts later released him.

Osman Hassan Ali Atto passed away on August 5, 2013, at his home in Mogadishu.

See also

In Spanish: Osman Ali Atto para niños