A Somali officer who had a previous relationship with the embassy , Major Siad , agreed to travel to rescue the German chargé d 'affaires and British ambassador ( junior staff from the British embassy had previously come to the US embassy ) . The Soviet Union was unable to land a plane in Mogadishu the previous day and the Soviet ambassador asked Ambassador Bishop if he and his staff could be rescued ; Ambassador Bishop , a tennis partner of his Soviet counterpart , agreed but only if they found their own way to the embassy . Seeing the helicopters on the morning of 5 January , they realized the Americans would not remain in the city much longer . At the request of Ambassador Bishop , Major Siad agreed to transport the Soviets , but only if he was paid enough ; the US embassy paid Major Siad , who returned with the Soviet ambassador and 38 of his staff . The brother of President Barre , who was also a Major General and Chief of Police , showed up at the embassy in the afternoon with 25 members of his family requesting to be evacuated , but was turned away after a vocal conversation with the ambassador .