Led by the former erstwhile and beloved mayor of Mogadishu,
Omar Hassan Mohamud "Istarliin", it was the first primary opposition of the
Siad Barre regime established in Rome in conclusion of meetings between 1974-1976 by exiled politicians who fled from regime reprisals after the execution of the former Minister of Defence General
Salaad Gabeyre Kediye accused of organising a counter coup. Initially powerful both economically and diplomatically, following the end of the war with Ethiopia in the summer of 1978, SODAF had been invited to merge with the Somali Salvation Front (SSF) led by Colonel
Abdullahi Yusuf and two other small parties to form the
Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF) with the approval and assistance of President
Jomo Kenyatta and his vice-president
Daniel Arap Moi before the SSDF moved to Ethiopia and set up a military base there. ==References==