The Death Letter by General Mohammed Said Hersi Morgan, also known as “Morgan’s Death Letter,” is a notorious document from the period of the Isaaq genocide in Somalia. The letter, dated January 1987, outlines a strategy for the systematic extermination and oppression of the Isaaq people, who were targeted due to their opposition to the Somalia government under Siad Barre.
Morgan, who was the military governor and Barre’s son-in-law, detailed a series of repressive measures aimed at eliminating the Isaaq population’s influence and presence. These measures included economic strangulation, military assaults, and the reorganization of local councils and educational institutions to marginalize Isaaq individuals. Morgan’s plan was explicit in its intention to use “scorched-earth” tactics to obliterate the Isaaq community, viewing them as a virus within the state.
This genocidal policy led to widespread atrocities between 1987 and 1989, resulting in the deaths of an estimated over 200,000 Isaaq civilians and the displacement of hundreds of thousands more. The cities of Hargeisa and Burao were particularly devastated, with extensive destruction and significant civilian casualties.