Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed in the context of "President of Puntland"

The Transitional Federal Government (TFG; Somali: Dowladda Federaalka Kumeelgaarka; Arabic: الحكومة الاتحادية الانتقالية; Italian: Governo federale di transizione della Somalia) was the internationally recognized provisional government of Somalia from 14 October 2004 until 20 August 2012. It was established in Nairobi, Kenya, following the Transitional National Government (TNG), and formed part of an internationally backed peace process aimed at restoring state institutions after the collapse of the Somali Democratic Republic in 1991. The TFG operated under the Transitional Federal Charter and represented the 14th attempt to establish a central government since the outbreak of civil war.

Initially based in Kenya, the TFG relocated to Somalia in 2005 amid internal divisions and low public confidence. The first administration, led by President Abdullahi Yusuf, was plagued by disputes over the deployment of foreign troops, deep factionalism, and competing claims of authority. With strong military and political backing from Ethiopia, the TFG was installed in Mogadishu following Ethiopia's 2006 invasion to overthrow the Islamic Courts Union (ICU). This intervention triggered a protracted insurgency led by Al-Shabaab and other Islamist factions. The subsequent Ethiopian military occupation severely undermined the TFG’s legitimacy and contributed to widespread violence, displacement, and the rise of one of Africa’s deadliest insurgencies.

Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF) (Somali: Jabhadda Diimuqraadiga Badbaadinta Soomaaliyeed), initially known as the Democratic Front for Salvation of Somalia, was a political and paramilitary umbrella organization in Somalia. Founded in 1978 by several army officers, it was the first of several opposition groups dedicated to ousting the authoritarian regime of Mohamed Siad Barre. With its power base mainly within the Majeerteen clan, SSDF played a significant role in the country's complex political landscape under the leadership of Abdullahi Yusuf during the late 1970s and 2000s.

In 1982, it participated in attempted invasion of Somalia aimed at regime change with the support of Ethiopia. The joint 1982 offensive backfired as it ultimately consolidated Barre’s control. Amnesty and financial incentives prompted the majority of SSDF fighters to surrender and rejoin the regime in 1983. The organization fragmented under government pressure.