1997Dec, 22
Hussein Farrah Aidid relinquishes the disputed title of President of Somalia by signing the Cairo Declaration, in Cairo, Egypt. It is the first major step towards reconciliation in Somalia since 1991.
Hussein Mohamed Farrah Aidid (Somali: Xuseen Maxamed Faarax Caydiid, Arabic: حسين محمد فارح عيديد) (born August 16, 1962) is the son of General Mohamed Farrah Aidid. His father was leader of the Somali National Alliance (SNA), the organization that fought US forces in Mogadishu, through his death on August 2, 1996, after being shot in a tribal battle. Farrah succeeded his father as leader of the SNA, and two days after his father's death, the SNA declared Farrah as the new President, although he too was not internationally recognized as such. Farrah relinquished his claim as president in December 1997, by signing the Cairo Declaration, a significant step toward peace in Somalia.Farrah is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, having served during Desert Storm, serving in the US military from 1987–1995.
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Events on 1997
- 19Jan
Hebron
Yasser Arafat returns to Hebron after more than 30 years and joins celebrations over the handover of the last Israeli-controlled West Bank city. - 21Jan
Newt Gingrich
The U.S. House of Representatives votes 395-28 to reprimand Newt Gingrich for ethics violations, making him the first Speaker of the House to be so disciplined. - 5Feb
The Holocaust
The so-called Big Three banks in Switzerland announce the creation of a $71 million fund to aid Holocaust survivors and their families. - 2Jun
Oklahoma City bombing
In Denver, Timothy McVeigh is convicted on 15 counts of murder and conspiracy for his role in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, in which 168 people died. He was executed four years later. - 1Jul
Tony Blair
China resumes sovereignty over the city-state of Hong Kong, ending 156 years of British colonial rule. The handover ceremony is attended by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Prince Charles of Wales, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.