While before his car accident, President Siyad had seemed to be encouraging the Foreign Minister to prepare to succeed him, after his accident the limelight switched to his son General Maslah. These efforts to establish a family dynasty prompted Maslah’s Marehan rivals to seek support outside their own clan ranks, even amongst members of the opposed ‘constitutional’ faction led by First Minister Samatar.

I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Som…, loc. 605