Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (, ; born March 11, 1962), also known as Farmaajo, is a Somali politician who served as president of Somalia from 2017 to 2022. He was prime minister of Somalia for six months, from November 2010 to June 2011. Mohamed is the founder and leader of the Tayo Party since 2012.
Early life and education Mohamed was born in Mogadishu. Mohamed comes from the Marehan, a sub-clan of the Darod clan. His parents were activists affiliated with the Somali Youth League (SYL), Somalia's first political party. During the 1970s, his father worked as a civil servant in the national Department of Transportation. Mohamed attended a boarding school in Somalia. When the civil war started in 1991 he claimed asylum in Canada and was eventually granted a Canadian passport. Later, he studied in the US where he also claimed political asylum and achieved American citizenship.
While living in Buffalo in the United States, Mohamed was a registered Republican Party member. Mohamed is a Somali citizen. Mohamed renounced his American citizenship in August 2019.
Mohamed is married to Saynab Abdi Moallim, the former First Lady of Somalia. The couple have four children—two daughters and two sons—who still reside in the United States, as of 2019.
Early career He worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia in an administrative capacity from 1982 to 1985. Between 1985 and 1988, Mohamed acted as First Secretary in the Somali embassy in Washington. After his arrival in America he put himself through school and achieved entry to the University at Buffalo. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in history in 1993.
From 1994 to 1997, Mohamed was chosen as an at-large Commissioner for the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority, and worked there as the finance chairman. He also served as case manager for a lead abatement program in the city from 1995 to 1999. Between 2000 and 2002, Mohamed was a minority business coordinator for the Erie County Division of Equal Employment Opportunity.
From 2002 until his appointment as Prime Minister in late 2010, he worked as Commissioner for Equal Employment at the New York State Department of Transportation in Buffalo. During this time he also completed his master's degree in political science from the University at Buffalo with his thesis titled, ‘U.S. Strategic Interest in Somalia: From the Cold War Era to the War on Terror' and taught leadership skills and conflict resolution at Erie Community College, part of the State University of New York (SUNY).
In 2007, while Mohamed was leading a Somali community group in Buffalo, he was accused by some of the Somali-American leaders of manipulating the election process in the group, in order to stay in power, resulting in a split in the community.
Political career
Prime Minister (2010–2011) On 15 October 2010, Mohamed was appointed new Prime Minister of Somalia. Mohamed was sworn into office on 1 November 2010, at a ceremony held in the presidential residence, Villa Somalia. On 12 November 2010, Mohamed named a new Cabinet, as per the Transitional Federal Government's (TFG) Charter. The allotted ministerial positions were significantly reduced in number, with only 18 administrative posts unveiled versus the previous government's 39 portfolios. Only two Ministers from the previous Cabinet were reappointed.
Reforms
In his statement to the UN Security Council on his first 50 days in office, Mohamed stated that his administration had initiated the implementation of a full biometric register for the security forces which was to be completed within a window of four months. Members of the Independent Constitutional Commission were also appointed to engage Somali constitutional lawyers, religious scholars and experts in Somali culture over the nation's scheduled new constitution, a key part of the government's Transitional Federal Tasks. High-level federal delegations were dispatched to defuse clan-related tensions in several regions.
To improve transparency, Cabinet ministers fully disclosed their assets and signed a code of ethics. An Anti-Corruption Commission with the power to carry out formal investigations and to review government decisions and protocols was also established so as to more closely monitor all activities by public officials. Furthermore, unnecessary trips abroad by members of government were prohibited, and all travel by ministers now require the Premier's consent. A budget outlining 2011's federal expenditures was also put before and approved by members of parliament, with the payment of civil service employees prioritized. In addition, a full audit of government property and vehicles was to be put into place.
Senior Advisor Abdirahman Omar Osman, mentioned Mohamed's attention to road repair, reopening public schools and the regular payment of soldiers and civil servants as issues which brought him support from the people during his brief tenure.
Resignation
The Kampala Accord was an agreement overseen by the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and the U.N. Special Envoy to Somalia Augustine Mahiga to bring an end to the 'transitional' phase of the TFG. The parliamentary speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden said he could not work with Mohamed and so as part of the terms of the agreement, Mohamed was asked to resign. Sharif Hassan had been skeptical of President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed's decision to appoint Mohamed as Prime Minister and Mohamed had appointed the cabinet without much input from him, which would have led to Sharif Hassan having difficulty getting parliamentary support for programs. After his resignation, Mohamed returned to the United States and his old position at the New York State Department of Transportation.After a Break to Run Somalia, Back at His Cubicle , By John Leland, 6 December 2011.For Somalia's president, leaving WNY was difficult, but 'worth it' By Tim O'Shei 28 September 2019.A Somali American's journey to the US and back to his home country comes full circle , Reporter Daniel Robison, The World, 23 August 2011 · Updated: 8 February 2017.Journey From N.Y. To Be Somalia's Prime Minister , 22 October, 20115.
Tayo Party In early 2012, Mohamed and members of his former Cabinet established the Tayo ("Quality") political party. According to Mohamed, the party's primary agenda would revolve around delivering services to Somalia's general population and encouraging the repatriation of Somali diasporans so as to assist in the post-conflict reconstruction process. After stepping down from office, Mohamed had been campaigning in various global destinations to amass support for his new party, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
2012 presidential elections
In early August 2012, Mohamed presented himself as a presidential candidate in Somalia's 2012 elections but was eliminated in the first round of voting.
2017 elections
The parliamentary election was considered by experts to be one of the most corrupt political events in the history of the country. Amid widespread reports of vote-buying, investigators estimated at least $20 million had been paid as bribes. Much of the money used came from foreign nations with interests in Somalia, which hoped that the candidates they supported monetarily would help advance their interests. Once seated, the parliament voted on who would become president.
Mohamed, campaigning as an anti-corruption candidate, won the presidency in the second round of voting, after the field had been whittled down from over twenty to three. In the second round of voting he received 184 of the total 329 votes, a victory that was surprising to analysts. American news sources also highlighted his knowledge of American politics as one possible asset to help him as president.
Mohamed had campaigned on the promises of a new constitution, one person, one vote elections, and eliminating Al-Shabaab.
Presidential term (2017–2022)
The fledgling administration was initially praised by the International Monetary Fund for its fiscal reforms, and from diplomatic observers for its efforts to address corruption and waste in the armed forces. Domestically, the nation was divided in its support for the new president, with much of the opposition coming from clans based in the south-central parts of the country.
Attempted motion for impeachment In December 2018, lawmakers filed an impeachment motion against Mohamed. The announcement was made following a raid on targeting opposition leader Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, a member of the rival Habar Gidir clan. The motion was eventually declared invalid after fourteen of the MPs whose names appeared on it claimed that they had never signed it.
Somaliland
In February 2020, a meeting between Mohamed and Muse Bihi Abdi, the President of the Republic of Somaliland, was brokered by Abiy Ahmed, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, to discuss unification. No agreement was reached. 70% of the population were born since the Declaration of Independence in 1991, which despite prevailing issues such as clan based politics, women's rights and unemployment, marked the start of an era of 30 years of peace in Somaliland. In April 2021 Muse blamed Mohamed for on going unrest in Somalia.
Kenya—Somalia relations
In December 2020, Mohamed accused Kenya of interference in Somalia's internal affairs in a diplomatic row which resulted in Somalia cutting diplomatic ties with neighbouring Kenya, giving Kenyan diplomats seven days to leave Mogadishu. The Kenyan government denied the allegations, saying that the Somali government is ungrateful to Kenya for the support her country has provided to Somali refugees and its efforts to bring peace to Somalia. An IGAD fact finding commission report found no evidence that Kenya was interfering in Somalia affairs.
Support for Ethiopia's military in Tigray
In November 2020, Gedar Andargachew, National Security Affairs Advisor to Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, met with Mohamed in Mogadishu. Mohamed is reported to have shown support for Ethiopia's action in Tigray, and Andargachew also expressed Ethiopia's will to continue its military support in Somalia, which has been important to the fight against Al-Shabaab.
Reports of an estimated 4000-7000 trainee Somali soldiers fighting in Tigray have led to protests in Mogadishu. The protesters, made up of the families of soldiers, say they have not had contact with their relatives since they left for training in Eritrea having been told they were signing up for security jobs in Qatar. A former deputy in Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency claimed that 370 Somali soldiers have died in Tigray. Ethiopia and Somalia deny that any Somali soldiers are involved in the conflict. A parliamentary committee in Somalia has called on Mohamed to investigate the whereabouts of the soldiers, while a member of the defense committee has blamed the long deployment and lack of communication on delays caused by COVID-19. In June 2021, the UNHCR confirmed that Somali troops had been taken from Eritrea to fight in Tigray.
Press freedom Amnesty International produced a report in February 2020 titled "We live in perpetual fear" which focuses on deterioration of press freedom in the country since President Mohamed took office in February 2017. The report states that the greatest threats to the press in Somalia are the government and Al-Shabaab. It covered cases of eight journalists who had been forced to flee the country and eight who were killed. One of those killed was shot by federal police, two were killed by unknown assailants, and a further five were slain in Al-Shabaab attacks.