Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF) , 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 in the
Majeerteen clan, SSDF representatives, along with local elders, intellectuals and businesspeople, were instrumental in the establishment in 1998 of the autonomous
Puntland region in northeastern Somalia.