List of Somalians
Encyclopedia
This is a list of notable Somalis
from Somalia
, Djibouti
and other parts of Greater Somalia
, as well as the Somali diaspora
.
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
from Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
and other parts of Greater Somalia
Greater Somalia
Greater Somalia refers to those regions in the Horn of Africa in which ethnic Somalis are and have historically represented the predominant population. Greater Somalia encompasses Somalia, Djibouti, the Ogaden of Ethiopia and the North Eastern Province of Kenya. Pan-Somalism refers to the vision...
, as well as the Somali diaspora
Somali diaspora
The Somali diaspora refers to expatriate Somalis who reside in areas of the world that have traditionally not been inhabited by their ethnic group...
.
Academics
- Ismail Jim'ale OsobleIsmail Jim'ale OsobleDr. Ismail Jim'ale Osoble was a Somali lawyer and Minister of Information in the Government of Aden Abdulle Osman before the military took control of the Government in 1969. Following those events, he was one the few lawyers and human rights actvists in the country. He was also one of the signers...
- Famous lawyer that once served as Minister of Information in the government of Aden Abdulle Osman - Ali A. AbdiAli A. AbdiAli A. Abdi is a Somali-Canadian sociologist and educationist. He is a professor of Education and International Development at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, where he serves as the Co-Director of the Centre for Global Citizenship Education and Research . He is also a past President...
– SomaliSomali peopleSomalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
anthropologist and professorProfessorA professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of educationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and International DevelopmentInternational developmentInternational development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
at the University of AlbertaUniversity of AlbertaThe University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
in EdmontonEdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and is President of the Comparative and International Education Society of CanadaWorld Council for Comparative Education SocietiesThe World Council of Comparative Education Societies is an international organization of comparative education societies created in 1970. It is organized as an NGO in operational relations with UNESCO...
. He is also the founding editor of the peer reviewed online publication Journal of Contemporary Issues in Education - Abdi Mohamed KusowAbdi Kusow-Biography:Kusow studied at Michigan State University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in 1990. He later earned a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning in 1992. He also holds a Ph. D...
– Somali Associate Professor of SociologySociologySociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at Iowa State in Ames, IowaAmes, IowaAmes is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
. Has written extensively on Somali sociology and anthropology. - Shire Jama AhmedShire Jama AhmedShire Jama Ahmed was a Somali linguist who is credited with having devised a unique Latin script for transcribing the Somali language. Shire Jama's winning Somali Orthoraphy was chosen from eighteen competing new orthographies in 1972 by the Language Committee and the ruling party...
– linguist who devised a unique Latin script for the Somali language - Ahmed Ismail SamatarAhmed Ismail SamatarAhmed Ismail Samatar is a prominent Somali writer, professor and dean of the Institute for Global Citizenship at Macalester College. He is the editor of Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali Studies and brother of Abdi Ismail Samatar....
– prominent Somali professor and deanDean (education)In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the Institute for Global Citizenship at Macalester CollegeMacalester CollegeMacalester College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was founded in 1874 as a Presbyterian-affiliated but nonsectarian college. Its first class entered September 15, 1885. The college is located on a campus in a historic residential neighborhood...
. He is the editor of Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali StudiesSomali StudiesSomali Studies is the scholarly term for research concerning Somalis and Somalia. It consists of several disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, linguistics, historiography and archaeology...
. - Abdi Ismail SamatarAbdi Ismail SamatarAbdi Ismail Samatar is Professor of Geography at the University of Minnesota. He is the author of An African Miracle published by Heinemann that was a finalist for the 2000 Herskovits Prize.-References:...
– prominent Somali scholar and professor at the University of MinnesotaUniversity of MinnesotaThe University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557... - Said Sheikh Samatar – Prominent Somali scholar and writerWriterA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. Main areas of interest are linguisticsLinguisticsLinguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
and sociologySociologySociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
. - Mohamed Haji MukhtarMohamed Haji Mukhtar-Biography:Mukhtar was born in the town of Koorkoor in the Bakool region of southern Somalia. He is the son of Malak Mukhtar Malak Hassan, a highly respected chief of the Digil and Mirifle Somali clans, and belongs to the Leysan subdivision of the latter....
– Somali Professor of African & Middle Eastern History at Savannah State UniversitySavannah State UniversitySavannah State University is a four-year, state-supported, historically black university located in Savannah, Georgia. Savannah State holds the distinction as the oldest public historically black university in Georgia...
. Has written extensively on the history of SomaliaHistory of SomaliaSomalia , officially the Republic of Somalia and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya on its southwest, the Gulf of Aden with Yemen on its north, the Indian Ocean at its east, and Ethiopia...
and the Somali languageSomali languageThe Somali language is a member of the East Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Its nearest relatives are Afar and Oromo. Somali is the best documented of the Cushitic languages, with academic studies beginning before 1900....
. - Mohamed Diriye AbdullahiMohamed Diriye AbdullahiMohamed Diriye Abdullahi is a Somali-Canadian scholar, linguist, writer and translator.-Biography:Formerly a journalist in his native Somalia, Abdullahi emigrated to Canada, where he earned a Master's degree and a Ph.D. in linguistics from the Université de Montréal in Montreal...
– Somali scholar, linguist and writer. Published on Somali culture, history, language and ethnogenesis. - Ali Jimale Ahmed – Somali poet, essayist, scholar, and short storyShort storyA short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
writer. Published on Somali history and linguistics - Abdisalam Issa-SalweAbdisalam Issa-SalweDr. Abdisalam Mohamed Issa-Salwe is a Somali writer and scholar.-Career:Issa-Salwe is currently Asst. Professor in Information Systems in the Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering at Taibah University in Medina, Saudi Arabia...
(PhD) – scholar, writer; currently an Associate Professor in Information SystemInformation systemAn information system - or application landscape - is any combination of information technology and people's activities that support operations, management, and decision making. In a very broad sense, the term information system is frequently used to refer to the interaction between people,...
s in the Faculty of Computer ScienceComputer scienceComputer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
and EngineeringEngineeringEngineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
at Taibah UniversityTaibah UniversityTaibah University is a university located in Medina, Saudi Arabia, established in 2003.-Schools:Taibah University includes 22 colleges. They include:*College of Medicine*College of Dentistry*College of Pharmacy*College of Applied Medical Sciences...
in MedinaMedinaMedina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
, Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
Activists
- Fatima JibrellFatima JibrellFatima Jibrell is a prominent Somali-American environmental activist. She is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Horn of Africa Relief and Development Organization , co-founder of Sun Fire Cooking, and was instrumental in the creation of the Women’s Coalition for Peace.-Biography:Jibrell...
- prominent Somali-American environmental activist. She is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Horn of Africa Relief and Development Organization ("Horn Relief"), co-founder of Sun Fire Cooking, and was instrumental in the creation of the Women’s Coalition for Peace. - Hawo TakoHawo TakoHawo Osman Tako was a prominent early 20th century Somali nationalist.-Biography:Tako participated in the 1948 riots in Mogadishu that followed the visit of the Four-Power Commission, where she was killed....
(d.1948) – Early 20th century Somali female nationalist whose sacrifice became a symbol for Pan-Somalism. - Asha Haji ElmiAsha Haji ElmiAsha Haji Elmi is a peace activist in Somalia who won the Right Livelihood Award in 2008, with three other activists from India, USA and Germany. In September, 2009, she was one of five recipients of the Clinton Global Citizen Award.-Biography:Asha was born in Somalia in 1962...
(Caasha Xaaji Cilmi), peace activist in Somalia. - Dekha Ibrahim AbdiDekha Ibrahim AbdiDekha Ibrahim Abdi was an ethnic Somali peace activist based in Mombasa, Kenya. A Kenyan citizen, she worked as a consultant to government and civil society organisations.-Personal life:...
, Somali peace activist in Kenya - Hirsi Magan IsseHirsi Magan IsseHirsi Magan Isse was a scholar and one of the leading figures of the Somali revolution. A part of Somalia's political elite, he was a leader in the Somali Salvation Democratic Front , one of the earliest and most influential factions in the Somali Civil War that broke out in 1991...
(Xirsi Magan Ciise), activist, scholar and one of the leading figures of the Somali revolution - Mohamud Siad ToganeMohamud Siad ToganeMohamud Siad Togane , born in 1943, is a Somali-Canadian poet, professor, and political activist.-Biography:Born in Somalia, Togane was educated by Mennonite missionaries in his home country, and subsequently moved to the United States. Togane graduated from Eastern Mennonite College in 1969, where...
, Canadian poet, professor, and political activist.
Artists
- MagoolMagoolMagool , born Halima Khaliif Omar , was a Somali singer.-Early years:Magool was born in the city of Dhusa Mareb, the capital of the Galgaduud region in central Somalia. She had four siblings....
(May 2, 1948 - March 19, 2004) – prominent Somali singer considered in Somalia as one of the greatest entertainers of all time. - Khadija QalanjoKhadija QalanjoKhadija Qalanjo was a popular Somali singer and folklore dancer in the 1970s and 1980s.-Biography:Qalanjo was born in Somalia. She is of the Samaroon sub-division of the Mandaluug sub-clan of the Dir Somali clan....
– popular Somali singer in the 1970s and 1980s. - Hasan Adan SamatarHasan Adan SamatarHasan Adan Samatar is a prominent Somali singer, guitarist and theatrical performer.-Biography:Samatar was born to an artistic family in Dinsoor, Somalia in 1953. He grew up in Baidoa, where he attended primary and elementary schools...
– popular male artist during the 1970s and 80s - K'naanK'naanK'naan , born Keinan Abdi Warsame in 1978, is a Somali Canadian poet, rapper, singer, songwriter and instrumentalist.-Biography:Born in Somalia, K'naan spent his childhood in Mogadishu and lived there during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1991. His aunt, Magool, was one of Somalia's most...
– award-winning Somali-Canadian hip hop artist. - Aar MaantaAar Maanta-Biography:Maanta moved from his native Somalia to the United Kingdom in the late 1980s due to the civil war there. As a lone child in a new country, he turned to music for comfort, absorbing many genres including pop, rock, hip hop, R&B and house. Maanta started studying music at school and then...
– popular Somali singer, composer, songwriter and music producer. - Ali FeiruzAli FeiruzAli Abdi Feiruz, known as Ali Feiruz, was a prominent Somali musician.-Biography:Feiruz was born in 1931 in Djibouti. He later moved to Hargeisa, Somalia in the late 1950s, and then on to Mogadishu in 1973....
– Somali musician from Djibouti; part of the Radio HargeisaHargeisaHargeisa is a city in the northwestern Woqooyi Galbeed region of Somalia. With a population of approximately 2 million residents, it is the second largest city in the country. Hargeisa is the capital of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region...
generation of Somali artists. - Maryam MursalMaryam Mursal-Biography:Mursal grew up in Somalia in a Muslim family with four daughters. As a teenager, she broke with tradition and began singing professionally in Mogadishu. She performed in nightclubs and her brand of music, featuring a mix of blues, soul, Somali and Arabic influences, and known as Somali...
(b. 1950) – famous musician from Somalia; composer and vocalist whose work has been produced by the record label Real WorldReal World RecordsReal World Records is a record label started in 1989 by Peter Gabriel to record and produce world music.-Overview:The label grew up alongside the success of the WOMAD festivals and Peter Gabriel's exploration of music from other cultures, and helped push world music into the general public's...
. - Mohammed MoogeMohamed Mooge LiibaanMohammed Mooge Liibaan was a prominent Somali instrumentalist and vocalist.-History:Mooge was born in Somalia. A member of the Waaberi musical ensemble, he started singing at an early age with his brother, Ahmad Mooge Liibaan...
– Somali artist from the Radio Hargeisa generation. - Abdi SinimoAbdi SinimoAbdi Sinimo or Abdi Sinimoo , born Cabdi Deeqsi Warfaa, is a Somali singer and songwriter who established the balwo musical style.-Biography:...
– prominent Somali artist and inventor of the BalwoBalwoBalwo is a style of music and poetry practiced in Djibouti as well as Somalia. Its lyrical contents often deal with love and passion. Balwo was founded by Abdi Sinimo....
musical style. - WaaberiWaaberi-History:The troupe was established by members of the Radio Artists Association. It was supported by the Somali government as part of the Somali National Theater, and made tours throughout several countries in Africa, including Egypt and Sudan. After a coup in 1969, the ensemble was renamed...
– Somalia's foremost musical group that toured throughout several countries in AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and AsiaAsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, including EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, SudanSudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. - Abdullahi QarsheAbdullahi QarsheAbdullahi Qarshe was a Somali musician, poet and playwright known as the "Father of Somali music".-Biography:Qarshe was born in 1924 in the Somali expatriate community in Moshi, Tanzania. In 1931, at the behest of his family, he left Tanzania and settled in Aden, Yemen for his education...
– Somali musician, poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and playwrightPlaywrightA playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
known for his innovative styles of music which included a wide variety of musical instruments such as the guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, and oudOudThe oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
. - Saba AnglanaSaba AnglanaSaba Anglana is a Somali-Italian actress and international singer.-Biography:Saba was born in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, during the regime of General Mohamed Siad Barre...
, Somali-Italian actress and international singer - Abdi Bashiir IndhobuurAbdi Bashiir IndhobuurAbdi Bashiir Indhobuur was a Somali poet and songwriter. He wrote a song called Arligeygow, translated to mean My Land. He is now dead.He was born in Gaalkacyo in the Mudug region of Somalia. In 1963, he joined the police force, permanently moving to the capital, Mogadishu, in 1972. Shortly...
, poet and songwriter - Marian Joan Elliott Said (Poly Styrene), pioneering Somali-British punk rock singer
- Dominic SaloleMockyMocky is a Somali-Canadian singer, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and composer.-Biography:Mocky was born Dominic Salole in Saskatchewan, Canada. He later moved to Ottawa and Toronto, and then to London, Amsterdam and Berlin. His father is of Somali descent, but was born in...
(Mocky), Somali-Canadian pop music performer - French MontanaFrench MontanaFrench Montana is an American rapper and singer of Moroccan and Somali descent. He is the founder of Cocaine City Records.-Background:Karim Kharbouch, better known by his stage name French Montana, was born in Rabat, Morocco...
, Somali-Moroccan rapper
Athletes
- Fabio LiveraniFabio LiveraniFabio Liverani is an Italian football coach and former midfielder of partial Somali descent, currently working as youth coach of Genoa.-Club career:...
- Somali-Italian international footballer - Abdi BileAbdi BileAbdi Bile is a former middle distance runner from Somalia. In 1987 he became world champion in the 1500 metres, the first Somali to do so.-Career:...
, World Champion middle distance runner, and three time Olympian - Mustafa MohamedMustafa MohamedMustafa Hassan Mohamed is a Somali-Swedish long-distance runner who mainly competes in the 3000 meter steeplechase.-Biography:Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Mohamed moved to Sweden at the age of 11...
– Somali-SwedishSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
long-distance runner who mainly competes in the 3000 meter steeplechaseSteeplechase (athletics)The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...
. Won goldGold medalA gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the 2006 Nordic Cross Country ChampionshipsNordic Cross Country ChampionshipsThe Nordic Cross Country Championships is an annual international cross country running competition that is contested between the Nordic countries...
and at the 1st SPAR European Team Championships in LeiriaLeiriaLeiria is a city in Leiria Municipality in the Centro Region, Portugal. It is the capital of Leiria District. The city proper has 50,200 inhabitants and the entire municipality has nearly 120,000...
, PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in 2009. Beat the 31 year old Swedish record in 2007. - Mo Farah – Somali-British gold medalGold medalA gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
ist in international track and fieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. He currently holds the British indoor record in the 3000 metre and won the 3000m at the 2009 European Indoor Championships in TurinTurinTurin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
. - Liban AbdiLiban AbdiLiban Abdi is a Somali international footballer. He currently plays for Ferencváros in the Hungarian First Division.-Sheffield United:...
– Somali international footballer. Currently plays for Ferencvárosi Torna ClubFerencvárosi Torna ClubFerencvárosi TC or FTC , simply known as Ferencváros, nicknamed Fradi , is a sport club in Hungary, founded in 1899 by Ferenc Springer and a group of local residents of Budapest's ninth district, Ferencváros. Ferencváros is best known for winning the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1964-65 in 1965 by...
in the HungarianHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
Second DivisionHungarian National Championship IINB II is the second tier of Hungarian football. At the end of the 2004/05 season, the tournament format was changed from one division of 14 teams to two divisions: Keleti and Nyugati , each with 16 teams...
, on loan from Sheffield United of EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. - Ayub DaudAyub Daudsomalia 11 | goals5 = 7Ayub Daud is a Somali footballer who plays as a forward/attacking midfielder for Juventus -Club career:-Juventus:Born in Somalia, Daud moved to Cuneo, Italy with his family at the age of five...
– Somali international footballer who plays as a forward/attacking midfielder for FC Crotone on loan from Juventus. - Zahra BaniZahra BaniZahra Bani is a Somali-Italian javelin thrower.-Biography:In 1989, Bani moved to Torino, Italy from Somalia with her Italian father and Somali mother and started playing volleyball...
- Somali-Italian javelin thrower - Abdisalam Abdulkadir Ibrahim - Somali-Norwegian footballer who plays for Manchester City. He is the Premier League's first Somali player and also the first East AfricaEast AfricaEast Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
n. - Amin AskarAmin AskarAmin Soleiman Askar is a Norwegian professional football player of Somali descent playing for Fredrikstad FK in the Norwegian Premier League. A versatile footballer, he has played in several positions, including defense and midfield. On March 27, 2009, Askar signed a two-year contract with...
- Somali-Norwegian professional football player, playing for Fredrikstad FK in the Norwegian Premier LeagueNorwegian Premier LeagueTippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
. - Muse Harun Jama-Somali-Qatarian currently playing National team.
Authors
- Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame 'Hadrawi' – songwriter, philosopher, and Somali Poet LaureatePoet LaureateA poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
; also dubbed the Somali ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
. - Nuruddin FarahNuruddin FarahNuruddin Farah is a prominent Somali novelist.-Early years:Born in Baidoa, Somalia, Farah is the son of a merchant father and a poet mother. As a child, he attended school at Kallafo in the Ogaden, and studied English, Arabic, and Amharic. In 1963, three years after Somalia's independence, Farah...
(b. 1943) – Somali writer considered one of the greatest contemporary writers in the world. - TimacadeAbdillahi Suldaan Mohammed TimacadeAbdillahi Suldaan Mohammed 'Timacade was a Somali poet. He was among the most prominent bards of his day.-Biography:Timacade was born in 1920 in the small town of Galooley, situated near Gabiley in the northwestern Somaliland region of Somalia...
(1920–1973) – prominent Somali poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
known for his nationalist poems such as Kana siib Kana Saar. - Maxamed Daahir AfraxMaxamed Daahir AfraxMaxamed Daahir Afrax Ph. D. is a Somali novelist, playwright, journalist and scholar.-Biography:Afrax was born and raised in Somalia. He belongs to the Majerteen sub-clan of the Darod Somali clan.A polyglot, he writes in Somali, Arabic and English...
) - Somali novelist and playwrightPlaywrightA playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
. Afrax has published several novels and short stories in SomaliSomali languageThe Somali language is a member of the East Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Its nearest relatives are Afar and Oromo. Somali is the best documented of the Cushitic languages, with academic studies beginning before 1900....
and Arabic, and has also written two plays, the first being Durbaan Been ah ("A Deceptive Dream"), which was staged in Somalia in 1979. His major contribution in the field of theatre criticism is Somali Drama: Historical and Critical Study (1987). - Farah Mohamed Jama Awl – famous Somali author best known for his historical fictionHistorical fictionHistorical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
novels. - Ayaan Hirsi AliAyaan Hirsi AliAyaan Hirsi Magan Ali is a Somali-Dutch feminist and atheist activist, writer, politician who strongly opposes circumcision and female genital cutting. She is the daughter of the Somali politician and opposition leader Hirsi Magan Isse and is a founder of the women's rights organisation the AHA...
(Ayaan Xirsi Cali or Ayaan Hirsi Magan), feminist and political writer - Cristina Ali FarahCristina Ali FarahCristina Ali Farah is an Italian writer of Somali and Italian origin.- Biography :Born in Italy to a Somali father and an Italian mother, Farah grew up in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia...
, Somali-Italian writer and poet - Afdhere JamaAfdhere JamaAfdhere Jama is an American writer and filmmaker of Somali origin.Jama was born and raised in Somalia. He moved to America when he was a teenager...
, Somali-American writer based in San Francisco - Ahmed Farah Ali 'Idaja'Ahmed Farah Ali 'Idaja'Ahmed Farah Ali is a Somali language writer and publisher of Somali written folklore.-Background:...
(Axmed Faarax Cali 'Idaajaa'), Somali language writer and 'father' of the Somali written folklore - Abdourahman WaberiAbdourahman WaberiAbdourahman A. Waberi is novelist, essayist, poet, academic and short-story writer.Abdourahman Waberi was born in Djibouti City in 1965. He went to France in 1985 to study English literature. Waberi worked as a literary consultant for Editions Le Serpent à plumes, Paris, and as a literary critic...
, writer and teacher
Directors
- Abdulkadir Ahmed SaidAbdulkadir Ahmed SaidAbdulkadir Ahmed Said is a prominent Somali film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor.-Biography:Said was born in 1953 in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. In 1970, he began working for the Somali Film Agency as a photographer assigned to international relations and as a...
– prominent Somali film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor.
Entrepreneurs
- Abdirashid DualeAbdirashid DualeAbdirashid Duale is an award-winning British Somali entrepreneur, philanthropist, and the CEO of the multinational enterprise Dahabshiil.-Biography:...
– award-winning Somali entrepreneurEntrepreneurAn entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, philantropist, and the CEO of the multinational enterprise DahabshiilDahabshiilDahabshiil is an international funds transfer company headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Formed in the early 1970s, the firm operates from over 24,000 outlets and employs more than 2,000 people across 144 countries. It provides a broad range of financial services to international...
. - Omar Abdi AliOmar A. AliOmar Abdi Ali is a Somali entrepreneur, accountant, financial consultant, philanthropist, and a leading specialist on Islamic finance. From 1986 to 1999, Omar was CEO of Dar al-Maal al-Islami Trust , a Middle Eastern financial and banking group, which under his management increased it assets from...
– Somali entrepreneur, accountantAccountantAn accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
, financial consultant, philanthropistPhilanthropistA philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, and leading specialist on Islamic finance. Was formerly CEO of Dar al-Maal al-IslamiDMI TrustDar al-Maal al-Islami Trust , founded in 1981, is a leading Islamic financial institution with affiliates on four continents and assets under management of over $3.6 billion USD, operating in accordance with Zakat principles of Islamic banking...
(DMI Trust), which under his management increased its assets from $1.6 billion USD to $4.0 billion USD. He is currently the chairman and founder of the multinationalMultinational corporationA multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
real estateReal estateIn general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
corporationCorporationA corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
Integrated Property Investments Limited and its sister company Quadron investments. - Amina Moghe HersiAmina Moghe HersiAmina Moghe Hersi is an award-winning Somali entrepreneur. She has launched several multi-million dollar projects in Kampala, Uganda, such as the luxury mall the Oasis Centre and the Laburnam Courts...
– Award-winning Somali entrepreneurEntrepreneurAn entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
that has launched several multi-million dollar projects in KampalaKampalaKampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, UgandaUgandaUganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, such as the Oasis Centre luxury mall and the Laburnam Courts. She also runs Kingstone Enterprises Limited, one of the largest distributors of cement and other hardware materials in Kampala. - Mohammed Abdillahi OgsadeyMohammed Abdillahi OgsadeyMohammed Abdillahi Kahin 'Ogsadey was a Somali business tycoon based in Ethiopia, where he established MAO Harar Horse, the first African corporation to export coffee.-Biography:...
– (d. 2006) was a Somali businessBusinessA business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
tycoon based in EthiopiaEthiopiaEthiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
where he established MAO Harar Horse, the first AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n corporationCorporationA corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
to export coffeeCoffeeCoffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
. - Aden MohammedAden MohammedAden Mohammed is a prominent Somali banker and entrepreneur. He is the Managing Director of Barclays Bank in East and West Africa.-Biography:...
- prominent Somali Banker and entrepreneur. He is the Managing director of Barclays Bank in East AfricaEast AfricaEast Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
and West AfricaWest AfricaWest Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
. Under his tenure BBK won the Banker Awards 2009.
Journalists
- Rageh OmaarRageh OmaarRageh Omaar , is a Somali born British journalist and writer. His latest book Only Half of Me deals with the tensions between these two sides of his identity. He used to be a BBC world affairs correspondent, where he made his name reporting from Iraq...
– Somali-British AuthorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and television news presenter. Formerly a BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
news correspondent in 2009, he moved to a new post at Al Jazeera English, where he currently presents the nightly weekday documentary series Witness.
Judges
- Abdulqawi YusufAbdulqawi YusufDr. Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf is a prominent Somali international lawyer and judge. As of February 6, 2009, he is a judge at the International Court of Justice.-Biography:...
– Prominent Somali internationalInternational----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
lawyerLawyerA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and judgeJudgeA judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
with the International Court of JusticeInternational Court of JusticeThe International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
. - Mohamed Abdi AwareMohamed Abdi AwareMohamed Abdi Aware was a high-profile Somali judge in the northern semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia and a member of its Supreme Judicial Council...
- was a high-profile Somali judge in the northern semi-autonomous *PuntlandPuntlandPuntland , officially the Puntland State of Somalia , is a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998....
region of Somalia and a member of its Supreme Judicial Council. He was *assassinatedAssassinationTo carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
on 12 November 2009 outside a mosqueMosqueA mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in Bossaso, capital of Puntland.
Military leaders
- Ahmed Gurey (c. 1507 - February 21, 1543) – 16th century ImamImamAn imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
and military leader that led the Conquest of EthiopiaEthiopian-Adal WarThe Ethiopian–Adal War was a military conflict between the Ethiopian Empire and the Adal Sultanate from 1529 until 1559. The Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi came close to extinguishing the ancient realm of Ethiopia, and converting all of its subjects to Islam; the intervention of the...
. - MahfuzMahfuzMahfuz was Imam of Zeila, and a general of Sultan Muhammad ibn Azhar ad-Din of the Adal Sultanate. However, James Bruce, drawing on Ethiopian sources, writes that Mahfuz was the chief of Arar.-Biography:...
(died July 1517) – 16th century general of Sultan Muhammad ibn Azhar ad-DinMuhammad ibn Azhar ad-DinMuhammad ibn Azhar ad-Din was a Sultan of the Sultanate of Adal. Sihab ad-Din Ahmad states in his Futuh al-Habasa that he was the son of Azhar, the second son of Abu Bakr, one of the ten sons of Sa'ad ad-Din II, and ruled for 30 years....
of the Adal SultanateAdal SultanateThe Adal Sultanate or the Kingdom of Adal was a medieval multi-ethnic Muslim state located in the Horn of Africa.-Overview:...
. - Muhammad Abdullah Hassan (April 7, 1856 - December 21, 1920) – Somali nationalist and religious leader that established the Dervish State during the Scramble for Africa.
- Hasna DorehHasna DorehHasna Doreh was an early 20th century Somali female commander of the Dervish State, a state which frequently engaged in battles against the imperial powers during the Scramble for Africa.-Biography:...
– Early 20th century Somali female commander of the Dervish State that frequently joined battles against the Imperial powers during the Scramble for Africa. - Daud Abdulle HirsiDaud Abdulle HirsiGeneral Daud Abdulle Hirsi was a Somali national and military hero.-Biography:Hirsi was born in 1925 in the town of Mareeg situated in central Somalia....
(1925–1965) – Prominent Somali General considered the Father of the Somali Military. - Salaad Gabeyre KediyeSalaad Gabeyre KediyeSalaad Gabeyre Kediye , was a Major General in the Somali military and a revolutionary.-Biography:Major General Salaad Gabeyre Kediye was born in September, 15 1934, in the town of Harardhere, situated in the Central Mudug region of Somalia, to an Abgaal family Hawiye clan...
– Major General in the Somali military and a revolutionary. - Akil DhaharAkil DhaharAkil Dhahar was the leader of the Sanaag region and some portions of the Bari region in Somalia in the late nineteenth century.-References:...
– leader of the Sanaag region and some portions of the Bari region - Muktar Hussein AfrahMuktar Hussein AfrahColonel Muktar Hussein Afrah is an officer in the army of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia.He was commander of forces in Beledweyne after the Battle of Beledweyne...
– officer in the army of the Transitional Federal Government - Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-TurkiHassan Abdullah Hersi al-TurkiSheikh Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki , also known as Hassan Al-Turki, or "Al-Turki"–"The Turk", is a Somali Islamist and military leader in the Islamic Courts Union and previously Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya.-Biography:...
– Islamist leader in Somalia and military leader in the Islamic Courts Union. - Abdulahi Sheik Ismael Fara-TagAbdulahi Sheik Ismael Fara-TagColonel Abdulahi Sheik Ismael is a commander in the army of the Transitional Federal Government of the Republic of Somalia.He was militia chief commander of the Juba Valley Alliance before it folded under the command of the TFG, serving under Barre Adan Shire Hiiraale before and after the...
– commander in the army of the Transitional Federal Government - Mohammed Hussein AliMohammed Hussein AliMajor General Mohammed Hussein Ali is an ethnic Somali military commander. He was the former Commissioner of the Kenya Police, and is currently Chief Executive of the Postal Corporation of Kenya.-Early life:...
– major general in the Kenyan army and former Commissioner of the Kenya Police - Sheikh Ahmed MadobeAhmed Mohamed IslamSheikh Ahmed Mohamed Islam aka Sheikh Ahmed Madobe or Madobe is the Chairman of Raskamboni movement.-Islamic Courts Union:As a member of Islamic Courts Union he was governor of Kismayo in 2006...
- Chairman and military commander of Raskamboni movementRaskamboni movementThe Raskamboni movement is a Somali paramilitary group active in Jubaland led by Sheikh Ahmed Madobe. The Raskomboni are opposed to the radical islamist group al-Shabab.-History:...
. - Dhaga-badanAbdikarim Yusuf AdamGeneral Abdikarim Yusuf Adam is a Somali military official. He is the current Chief of Army.-References:...
- Army officer and Chief of TFG Army. - Osman Omar WehliyeOsman Omar WehliyeGeneral Osman Omar Wehliye took office as Commissioner of the Somali Police Force on 16 March 2011, replacing General Ali Hassan Mohamed .-References:...
- Commander of the Somali Police from March 2011.
Models
- Yasmin WarsameYasmin WarsameYasmin Abshir Warsame is a Somali-Canadian model and activist. In 2004, she was named "The Most Alluring Canadian" in a poll by Fashion magazine.-Biography:...
– Somali-CanadianSomali CanadiansSomali Canadians are naturalized citizens and residents of Canada who were born in, or with ancestors from Somalia.-Overview:Canada has one of the largest Somali populations in the western world, with the census reporting 37,785 people claiming Somali descent, though unofficial estimates place the...
model. In 2004, she was named "The Most Alluring Canadian" in a poll by Fashion magazine. - Hawa AhmedHawa AhmedHawa Ahmed is a Somali-Swedish fashion model and winner of Cycle 4 of Sweden's Next Top Model.-Biography:Hawa was born in Somalia in 1989. She comes from a large family, with four sisters and three brothers...
– Somali-SwedishSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
fashion model and winner of Cycle 4 of Sweden's Next Top ModelSweden's Next Top ModelSweden's Next Top Model or Top Model Sverige was a Swedish reality television show based on America's Next Top Model. It was broadcast on TV3 in Sweden. In Top Model Sverige, the 9 contestants are competing for a top 3 spots to compete in Scandinavia's Next Top Model. These final 3 girls then join...
. - Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid – international fashion icon, supermodelSupermodelThe term supermodel refers to a highly-paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in haute couture and commercial modeling. The term became prominent in the popular culture of the 1980s. Supermodels usually work for top fashion designers and labels...
, actress and entrepreneurEntrepreneurAn entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, professionally known as Iman. - Waris DirieWaris DirieWaris Dirie is a Somali model, author, actress and human rights activist.-Early years:Waris Dirie was born into a nomadic clan in Galkacyo, Somalia in 1965. At the age of thirteen, she fled her family in order to escape an arranged marriage to a much older man. She landed in London where she...
– model, author, actress and human rights activist. - Katja ShchekinaKatja ShchekinaKatja Shchekina is a Somali-Russian model.-Biography:Shchekina was born in Perm, Russia to a Somali mother and a Russian father...
– Somali-Russian fashion model - Fatima SiadFatima SiadFatima Siad is a Somali-Ethiopian fashion model. Raised in Boston, Massachusetts, she placed third on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 10.-Biography:...
– third place finisher on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 10, professional model
Monarchs
- Nur ibn MujahidNur ibn MujahidNur ibn Mujahid ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Abdullah al Dhuhi Suha , of the Ahl Suhawyan division of the Marehan branch of the Somali Darod clan, was Emir of Harar in the 16th century...
– 16th century Somali conqueror and Patron saintPatron saintA patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of HararHararHarar is an eastern city in Ethiopia, and the capital of the modern Harari ethno-political division of Ethiopia...
. - Ibrahim AdeerIbrahim AdeerIbrahim Adeer was a Somali ruler, and the founder of the Gobroon Dynasty.-Biography:In the late 17th century, Adeer, who was a soldier at the time, successfully pushed back the imperial Ajuuraan army out of Afgooye...
– Somali ruler, and the founder of the Gobroon DynastyGobroon DynastyThe Gobroon dynasty or Geledi sultanate was a Somali royal house that ruled parts of East Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries. It was established by the Ajuuraan soldier Ibrahim Adeer, who had defeated various vassals of the Ajuuraan Empire and established the House of Gobroon...
. - Gerad DhidhinGerad DhidhinGerad Dhidhin , also known as Gerad Abdulahi, was the founder of the Warsangali Sultanate in the late 13th century in the territory of present-day northern Somalia.-History:...
– founder of the Warsangali Sultanate - Gerad Ali DableGerad Ali Dable-Biography:Dable was born in the historical city of Las Khorey in northern Somalia, where he lived until the age of five.A rebellion within the Warsangali Sultanate then took place, with the Awramale sub-clan of the Warsangali Darod assuming leadership...
– 12th Sultan of the Warsangali Sultanate. - Mahamud IbrahimMahamud IbrahimMahamud Ibrahim was a Somali ruler, and the second Sultan of the Gobroon Dynasty.-Biography:Sultan Ibrahim succeeded his father, Ibrahim Adeer, as Sultan of the Gobroon Dynasty. He, in turn, would eventually bequeathe the throne to his own son, Yusuf Mahamud Ibrahim....
– Second Sultan of the Gobroon Dynasty. - Yusuf Ali Kenadid – Somali ruler, and the founder of the Sultanate of HobyoSultanate of HobyoThe Sultanate of Hobyo was a 19th century Somali ruling house in present-day northern Somalia. It was carved out of the former Majeerteen Sultanate by Yusuf Ali Kenadid, cousin of the Majeerteen Sultanate's ruler, Boqor Osman Mahamuud....
in the 1880s. - Yusuf Mahamud IbrahimYusuf Mahamud IbrahimYusuf Mahamud Ibrahim was a Somali ruler, and the third Sultan of the Gobroon Dynasty from 1798 to 1848.-Biography:Yusuf was the son of the Somali Sultan Mahamud Ibrahim, and the grandson of Ibrahim Adeer...
– Third Sultan of the Gobroon Dynasty and victor of the Bardera warsBarderaBardera City is an important agricultural city in the Gedo region of Somalia. It is the second most populous town in the Juba Valley, with Kismayo being the largest and most densely populated city in the region, and Garbahaarreey serving as Gedo's capital...
. - Mohamoud Ali ShireMohamoud Ali ShireMohamoud Ali Shire was a Somali ruler. He was the 20th Sultan of the Warsangali Sultanate from 1897 to 1960.-Titles:Also known as the Gerad, the Sultan was the sole regent and governor of the sultanate. He also enjoyed many other titles, including "Sovereign of the House of North East of...
– 20th SultanSultanSultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
of the Warsangali Sultanate from 1897 to 1960. - Ahmed YusufAhmed Yusuf (Gobroon)Ahmed Yusuf was a Somali ruler, and the fourth Sultan of the Gobroon Dynasty from 1848 to 1878.-Biography:Yusuf was born in the town of Afgooye, where he stayed until the age of seven...
– Fourth Sultan of the Gobroon Dynasty; forced the Omani empire to pay tribute. - Osman AhmedOsman AhmedOsman Ahmed was a Somali ruler, and the fifth Sultan of the Gobroon Dynasty.He is considered less illustrious than his predecessors, and Gobroon power considerable weakened under his rule. He was the son of Ahmed Yusuf and succeeded his father after his death.-References:...
– Last Sultan of the Gobroon Dynasty. - AraweloAraweloArawelo, also known as Araweelo, Araweilo, and Arraweelo, was a Somali Queen in 15 AD.-History:Arawelo was a queen who ruled over Somalia. Her throne was passed down by an unknown next of kin, though many version of her suggested that it was her niece, Araxsan. She was the first born of three...
– Somali Queen of the 7th century AD. - Olol DiinleOlol DiinleSultan Olol Diinle was the last sultan who ruled at Kelafo as a sultan of the Ajuran Somali clan lineage to rule an independent kingdom.-Historical Context:...
– last Sultan of the Neo-Ajuuraan StateAjuuraan StateThe Ajuuraan state or Ajuuraan sultanate was a Somali Muslim empire that ruled over large parts of East Africa in the Middle Ages. Through a strong centralized administration and an aggressive military stance towards invaders, the Ajuuraan Empire successfully resisted an Oromo invasion from the...
.
Pilots
- Asli Hassan AbadeAsli Hassan AbadeAsli Hassan Abade was the first and so far only female pilot in the Somali Air Force . A prominent member of the SAF, she paved the way for gender equality within the military ranks.-Peace campaign:...
, was the first Somali female pilot. A prominent member of the Somali Air Force, she paved the way for gender equality within the military ranks. - Ali Matan HashiAli Matan HashiAli Matan Hashi , also known as Ali Matan, was a Somali senior military official and politician. He was the first Somali pilot, and a prominent member of the Supreme Revolutionary Council .-History:Ali Matan was born into a Marehan Darod family....
(Cali Mataan Xaashi), first Somali pilot and prominent member of the Supreme Revolutionary Council; established the Somali Air Force. - Mustafa Mohamed MoalimMustafa Mohamed MoalimMustafa Mohamed Moalim was prominent Somali pilot.-Biography:At the age of 17 in post-independence Somalia, Mustafa volunteered as a fighter pilot, swearing to defend the young Somali nation from foreign threats...
(Mustafa Maxamed Macalin), first Somali fighter pilot, Chief of Somali Air Force School and Chief of Somali Air Force Operations.
Presidents
- Aden Abdullah Osman DaarAden Abdullah Osman DaarAden Abdulle Osman Daar , popularly known as Aadan Cadde, was a Somali politician and the country's first President from July 1, 1960 to June 10, 1967.-Biography:...
– Somali politician and the country's first President. - Abdirashid Ali ShermarkeAbdirashid Ali ShermarkeAbdirashid Ali Shermarke was Prime Minister of Somalia from July 12, 1960 to June 14, 1964, and President of Somalia from June 10, 1967 until his assassination on October 15, 1969...
– second President of Somalia - Mohamed Siad BarreSiad BarreMohamed Siad Barre was the military dictator and President of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969 to 1991. During his rule, he styled himself as Jaalle Siyaad ....
– third President of Somalia - Ali Mahdi MuhammadAli Mahdi MuhammadAli Mahdi Muhammad was president of Somalia from January 1991 to November 1991. He rose to power when Mohamed Farrah Aidid forced then president Mohamed Siad Barre out of office. Muhammad, however, was not able in that time to exert control over the country...
- fourth President of Somalia - Mohamed Farrah AididMohamed Farrah AididGeneral Mohamed Ali Farrah Aidid was a controversial Somali military leader, often described as a warlord. A former general and diplomat, he was the chairman of the United Somali Congress and later led the Somali National Alliance...
(Maxamed Faarax Caydiid) – fifth president of Somalia; chairman of United Somali Congress and later Somali National Alliance - Hussein Mohamed FarrahHussein Mohamed FarrahHussein Mohamed Farrah Aidid , is a United States Marine Corps veteran and a former president of Somalia. He is the son of General Mohamed Farrah Aidid.-Biography:...
– interim President and leader of the Somali National Alliance - Abdiqasim Salad HassanAbdiqasim Salad HassanDr Abdiqasim Salad Hassan is a prominent Somali politician. He was President of Somalia from 2001 to 2004, and previously served as Interior Minister and Finance Minister in the government of Mohamed Siad Barre.-Biography:...
(Cabdiqaasim Salaad Xasan) – former President of Somalia - Abdullahi Yusuf AhmedAbdullahi Yusuf AhmedAbdullahi Yusuf Ahmed is a veteran Somali politician. He is one of the founders of the Somali Salvation Democratic Front, as well as the Puntland State of Somalia, where he served as the autonomous region's first President...
– former President of Somalia and first President of Puntland; founder of the Somali Salvation Democratic Front, the Puntland State of Somalia, and the Transitional Federal Government - Adan Mohamed Nuur MadobeAdan Mohamed Nuur MadobeAdan Mohamed Nuur Madobe is a Somali politician and a former Speaker of Parliament of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia. Following the resignation of Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed as President of Somalia in December 2008, he became interim president. Like many Somali politicians, he is a...
– interim President of Somalia - Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed – President of Somalia; former leader of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU)
- Hassan Gouled AptidonHassan Gouled AptidonHassan Gouled Aptidon was the first President of Djibouti from 1977 to 1999.-Biography:...
– first President of Djibouti from 1977 to 1999. - Ismaïl Omar GuellehIsmail Omar GuellehIsmaïl Omar Guelleh is the President of Djibouti. He succeeded his uncle, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, in 1999. He is often referred to in the region by his initials 'IOG'....
– second President of Djibouti.
Prime Ministers
- Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal (Maxamed Xaaji Ibraahim Cigaal) – president of Somaliland and former Prime minister of Somalia
- Hassan Abshir Farah (Xasan Abshir Faarax) – former Prime Minister of Somalia
- Ali Khalif Galaydh (Cali Khalif Galaydh) – former Prime Minister of Somalia under the Transitional National Government
- Ali Mohammed GhediAli Mohammed GhediAli Mohamed Ghedi was the Prime Minister of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia from 2004 to 2007. He was relatively unknown in political circles upon his appointment as prime minister in November 2004. He is affiliated with the Abgaal subclan of Mogadishu's Hawiye clan, one of...
(Cali Maxamed Geedi) – former Prime Minister of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) - Nur Hassan HusseinNur Hassan HusseinNur Hassan Hussein Adde , was the Prime Minister of Somalia from November 2007 to February 2009. He is from Mogadishu and is part of the Abgaal sub-clan of the Hawiye.-Early career:...
(Nuur Xasan Xuseen "Nuur Cade") – former Prime Minister of the TFG - Abdirizak Haji HusseinAbdirizak Haji HusseinAbdirizak Haji Hussein was Prime Minister of Somalia from 14 June 1964 to 15 July 1967.-Biography:Hussein was born in 1924 to a Majerteen Darod family in Galkacyo, the capital of the north-central Mudug region of Somalia...
(Cabdirasaaq Xaaji Xuseen) – Prime Minister of Somalia early in the sixties - Umar Arteh GhalibUmar Arteh GhalibUmar Arteh Ghalib or Omer Carte Qalib is a prominent Somali politician and a former Prime Minister of Somalia from January 24, 1991 to May 1993.-Biography:...
(Cumar Carte Qaalib) – former Prime Minister of Somalia - Omar Abdirashid Ali SharmarkeOmar Abdirashid Ali SharmarkeOmar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke is a Somali diplomat and politician. He is the former Prime Minister of Somalia.-Biography:...
– former Prime Minister of Somalia - Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed – former Prime Minister of Somalia
- Abdiweli Mohamed AliAbdiweli Mohamed AliDr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali is a Somali economist and politician. He is the Prime Minister of Somalia.-Personal life:Ali is originally from the autonomous Puntland region in northeastern Somalia. He holds both Somali and American citizenship....
– incumbent Prime Minister of Somalia
Other
- Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji-FaqiAbdihakim Mohamoud Haji-FaqiAbdihakim Mohamoud Haji-Faqi , also spelled Abdulhakim Mahamud Fiqi, is a Somali diplomat and politician. He was Minister of Defense of Somalia.-Biography:Haji-Faqi hails from the Bay region in southern Somalia. He was previously a diplomat in Canada....
- Minister of Defense TFG from November 2010. - Mohamed Abdullahi Omaar – Foreign Minister of Somalia
- Zahra AbdullaZahra AbdullaZahra Abdulla is a Somali-born Finnish politician. She is a member of the Helsinki City Council, representing the Green League.-Biography:Zahra was born in Somalia in 1966. She spent her early years in Egypt and Kenya....
– Somali politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. She is a member of the Helsinki City Council, representing the Green LeagueGreen LeagueThe Green League is a centrist green liberal political party in Finland. It has ten seats in the Finnish Parliament and two in the European Parliament. The current chairperson is Ville Niinistö.... - Abdulrahman Jama BarreAbdulrahman Jama Barre-Biography:Jama Barre was born into a Marehan Darod family in Somalia. A close relative of former President of Somalia, Mohamed Siad Barre, he served as the nation's Foreign Minister for many years...
, former Somali Foreign Minister and close relative of Siad Barre; longest-serving Somali diplomat - Abdirahman Mohamud FaroleAbdirahman Mohamud FaroleAbdirahman Mohamud Farole is a Somali politician. He is the fourth and current President of Puntland.-Biography:Farole was born in the qandala region of Somalia in 1945. He first pursued his post-secondary education locally, earning a Diploma of Public Health in 1964 from the Scuola Professionale...
, President of Puntland - Omar Muhamoud FinnishOmar Muhamoud Finnish- United Somali Congress/Somali Salvation Alliance :He is leader of a splinter movement of the United Somali Congress/Somali Salvation Alliance , which had been initially loyal to Ali Mahdi Mohammed during the Somali Civil War...
(Cumar Maxamuud Finish), Mogadishu-based warlord - Mohammed Sheikh AddenMohammed Sheikh AddenMohamed Aden Sheikh was a Somali medical doctor and politician who held posts as Minister of Health, Minister of Education, and Minister of Information...
, (Dr Mohamed Aden Sheikh) intellectual, former head of Somali Technological Development, former Minister of Education, and former Minister of Health - Hassan Dahir Aweys (Xasan Daahir Aweys), head of the 90-member Shura council of the Islamic Courts Union.
- Abdullahi Ahmed AddouAbdullahi Ahmed Addou-Early life:Addou was born on 15 May 1936, in the city of Brava in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia.-Ambassador and Finance Minister:Between 1970 and 1980 and again from 1986 to 1988, he served as Somalia's Ambassador to the United States. From 1980 to 1984, he was also Finance Minister of...
(Cabdilaahi Axmed Caddoow), senior Somali politician and diplomat. - Fatimo Isaak BihiFatimo Isaak BihiFatimo Isaak Bihi is a former Somali diplomat. She was the first ever female ambassador . Bihi is also the former Director of the African Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as being a former Permanent Representative for Somalia at the United Nations.- References :...
, Ambassador to Geneva and former Director of the African Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Ibrahim Hassan AddouIbrahim Hassan AddouIbraahin Hassan Addow was a Somali scholar and politician.-Biography:Addow was the head of the Foreign Affairs department for the Islamic Courts Union of Somalia. He lived in the United States and worked as an administrator at the American University in Washington, D.C., before returning to his...
(Ibraahin Xasan Caddoow), head of foreign affairs department for the Islamic Courts of Somalia. - Yusuf Ahmed Hagar DabageedYusuf Ahmed Hagar DabageedYusuf Ahmed Hagar, was governor of the Hiran region of Somalia. He supports the Somali Transitional Federal Government , and was militarily supported by Ethiopia in the War in Somalia .-Flees Beledweyne:...
(Yuusuf Axmed Xagar), governor of the Hiran region of Somalia - Sharif Hassan Sheikh AdenSharif Hassan Sheikh AdenSheikh Sharif Hassan Adan is a Somali politician. He is a former Finance Minister of Somalia, and the current Speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament...
(Shariif Xasan Sheekh Aadan), politician and former Speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament. - Ali Shido AbdiAli Shido AbdiAli Shido Omar was a senior Somali politician and elder. He was one of the earliest members of the Somali Youth League in Somalia, and eventually became that political party's vice chairman....
(Cali Shido Cabdi), politician and elder, one of the earliest members of Somali Youth League - Osman Jama AliOsman Jama AliOsman Jama Ali is a Somali politician. He briefly served as Prime Minister of Somalia under the Transitional National Government from October 28, 2001 to November 12, 2001.-Notes:...
(Cismaan Jaamac Cali), Prime Minister under the Transitional National Government - Mohamed Warsame Ali (Maxamed Warsame Cali "Kiimiko"), politician and diplomat
- Dahir Rayale Kahin - Third President of Somaliland
- Hussein Ali DualeHussein Ali DualeHussein Ali Duale , commonly known as Awil , is the finance minister of Somaliland, and former ambassador of Somalia to Kenya and Uganda....
(Xuseen Cali Ducaale), finance minister of Somaliland, and former ambassador of Somalia to Kenya and Uganda - Abdallah Isaaq DeerowAbdallah Isaaq Deerow-Political career:Deerow served as Minister of Constitutional Affairs of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia under the leadership of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed.-Assassination:On July 28, 2006, Deerow was shot dead outside a mosque in Baidoa....
(Cabdalle Deeroow Isaaq), Minister of Constitutional Affairs of the transitional government - Adde GabowAdde GabowMohamed Ali Hassan , known as Adde Gabow, is a Somali politician. He is the former governor of the Banaadir region and was appointed mayor of the capital Mogadishu by President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed on 15 January 2007.-Source:*...
(Mohamed Ali Hassan or Maxamed Cali Xasan), former governor of the Banaadir region and mayor of Mogadishu - Umar Arteh GhalibUmar Arteh GhalibUmar Arteh Ghalib or Omer Carte Qalib is a prominent Somali politician and a former Prime Minister of Somalia from January 24, 1991 to May 1993.-Biography:...
(Omer Carte Qalib), politician - Mohamoud Mohamed Guled (Maxamed Maxamuud Guuleed), Interior Minister and formerly the Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Mohamed Abdi HashiMohamed Abdi HashiMohamed Abdi Hashi is a Somali politician. He was the interim President of Puntland from October 2004 to January 8, 2005.-References:...
(Maxamad Cabdi Xashi), interim President of Puntland - Mark HendrickMark HendrickMark Phillip Hendrick is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Preston since winning a by-election in 2000.-Biography:Hendrick, who is half Somali, was born in Salford, Lancashire...
, Somali-British politician and Labour Co-operative Member of Parliament - Mohamud Muse HersiMohamud Muse HersiMohamud "Adde" Muse Hersi is a Somali politician. He was the President of the Puntland region of Somalia from January 8, 2005 to January 8, 2009.-Biography:...
(Maxamuud Muuse Xirsi), former President of Puntland - Abdirashid Mohamed HidigAbdirashid Mohamed HidigAbdirashid Mohamed Hidig is a Somali political and a Member of Parliament in the Transitional Federal Parliament of Somalia. There are 275 members of the Somali parliament...
(Cabdirashiid Maxamed Xidig), Member of Parliament in the Transitional Federal Parliament - Barre Adan Shire HiiraaleBarre Adan Shire HiiraaleBarre Adan Shire , also known as Barre Hiiraale, Barre "Hirale" Aden Shire, or Abdikadir Adan Shire, is a former Minister of Defense of the Somali Transitional Federal Government . He was previously the TFG Minister for National Reconstruction and Resettlement...
(Barre Aadan Shire, Barre Hiiraale, Barre "Hirale" Aden Shire, or Abdikadir Adan Shire), Minister of Defense of the Somali Transitional Federal Government - Ismail Mahmud HurreIsmail Mahmud HurreIsmail Mahmoud Hurre was the foreign minister of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, from mid 2006 to early 2007. He was appointed to that position on August 21, 2006. He previously served as foreign minister from 2000 to 2002, during the beginning of the transitional government.-...
(Ismaaciil Maxamuud Hurre), foreign minister of the Transitional Federal Government - Sheikh Mukhtar Mohamed HusseinSheikh Mukhtar Mohamed HusseinSheikh Mukhtar Mohamed Hussein was the speaker of the Somali parliament, and briefly an interim President of Somalia in 1969.-Biography:...
(Sheekh Mukhtaar Maxamed Xuseen), speaker of parliament and interim president - Abdullahi Sheikh IsmailAbdullahi Sheikh IsmailAbdullahi Sheikh Ismail was the deputy prime minister and foreign minister in the transitional government of Somalia. He was appointed to that position on December 1, 2004 as part of a partial government formed by Prime Minister Ali Muhammad Ghedi. He lost these positions in August 2006 when Ghedi...
(Cabdullaahi Sheekh Ismaaciil), deputy prime minister and foreign minister in the transitional government of Somalia *Edna Adan IsmailEdna Adan IsmailEdna Adan Ismail , born September 8, 1937 in Hargeisa, is the former Foreign Minister of the autonomous Somaliland region in northwest Somalia. She held this office from 2003 until 2006, and had previously served as Somaliland's Minister of Family Welfare and Social Development...
(Edna Aadan Ismaaciil or Adna Aadan Ismaaciil), Foreign Minister of Somaliland - Abdullahi IssaAbdullahi IssaAbdullahi Issa Mohamud was the first Prime Minister of Somalia from February 29, 1956 to July 1, 1960.-Biography:Issa was born in Somalia in 1922 to a Habar Gidir Hawiye family. When the Second World War broke out, he was still a student...
(Cabdullahi Ciise Maxamuud), first Prime Minister of Somalia - Mohammed Said Hersi MorganMohammed Said Hersi MorganMohammed Said Hersi Morgan was the son-in-law of Siad Barre and minister of defense of Somalia. Said Hersi Morgan is thought to be responsible for many atrocities committed against the Somali population during the Barre government and during the civil war of the 1990s in the region of Kismayu...
(Maxamed Siciid Xirsi Moorgan), son-in-law of Siad Barre and minister of defense of Somalia - Ismail Qasim NajiIsmail Qasim NajiGeneral Ismail Qasim Naji was the chief of staff of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and currently the Somali ambassador in Oman. He has served as a senior officer of the Somali army since the administration of Siad Barre, who was removed from power in 1991...
(Ismaaciil Qaasim Naaji), chief of staff of the Transitional Federal Government - Yusuf Haji NurYusuf Haji NurYusuf Haji Nur is a Somali politician. He was the acting President of Puntland from July 1, 2001 to November 14, 2001.-References:...
(Yuusuf Xaaji Nuur), former President of Puntland - Osman Ali AttoOsman Ali AttoOsman Hassan Ali Atto is a Somali warlord, affiliated with the Somali National Alliance.- Background :He is a member of the Somali Hawiye clan, sub-clan Habar Gedir Osman Hassan Ali Atto (born 1940) is a Somali warlord, affiliated with the Somali National Alliance.- Background :He is a member of...
(Cismaan Xasan Cali), warlord, affiliated with the Somali National Alliance - Botan Ise AlinBotan Ise AlinBotan Ise Alin was a Somali warlord, formerly based in Mogadishu, and a former member of the Somali Transitional Government, in which he was minister for the disarmament of militias...
(Bootaan Ciise Caalin), warlord, formerly based in Mogadishu, and a former member of the Somali Transitional Government - Omar Muhamoud FinnishOmar Muhamoud Finnish- United Somali Congress/Somali Salvation Alliance :He is leader of a splinter movement of the United Somali Congress/Somali Salvation Alliance , which had been initially loyal to Ali Mahdi Mohammed during the Somali Civil War...
(Cumar Maxamuud Finish), Mogadishu-based warlord - Muhammad Ibrahim HabsadeMuhammad Ibrahim HabsadeMuhammad Ibrahim Habsade is former rebel soldier of the Rahanweyn Resistance Army, former Minister of Land and Air Transport, and current Minister of Agriculture in the Somali Transitional Federal Government....
(Maxamed Ibraahim Xaabsade), rebel soldier - Yusuf Mohammed Siad Inda'ade (Yuusuf Maxamed Siyaad "Indhacadde"), member of the Islamic Courts Union
- Sheikh Ali DhereSheikh Ali DhereSheikh Cali Sheikh Maxamuud Sheikh Cali Dheere , also known as "Sheekh Cali Dheere", is a Somali cleric and religious fundamentalist based in Mogadishu. He was instrumental in the establishment of the first Islamic courts in Mogadishu in 1996. He is from the Hawiye Abgaal clan...
- cleric and the head of the first Islamic Courts Union in Mogadishu in 1996; spokesman for Al Shabaab. - Mohamed Afrah QanyareMohamed Afrah QanyareMohamed Afrah Qanyare , is a Somali politician who was based to the south of Mogadishu Dayniile neighborhoods.Somali PM one of the political Flexible activity Mohamed Qanyare Afrah- United Somali Congress :...
(Maxamed Qanyare Afrax), ex Somali warlord - Abdi Hasan Awale Qeybdiid (Cabdi Xasan Cawaale Qeybdiid), militia leader, or warlord, affiliated with the Somali National Alliance
- Musa Sudi YalahowMusa Sudi YalahowMuse Sudi Yalahow is a notorious Somali warlord who served as Trade Minister in the Transitional Government of Ali Mohammed Ghedi. He was dismissed in June 2006 after ignoring government requests to halt fighting with the Islamic Courts Union militia....
(Muuse Suudi Yalaxoow), warlord who served as Trade Minister in the Transitional Government - Ahmed Yusuf YasinAhmed Yusuf YasinMudane Ahmed Yusuf Yasin was the Vice-President of Somaliland, a de facto independent republic which is recognized as a part of Somalia, from 2002 until 2010. He was a member of Dahir Rayale Kahin's cabinet....
(Axmed Yuusuf Yaasiin), Vice-President of Somaliland - Mohamed YonisMohamed Yonis-Biography:Yonis has is married to Halima Mumin, with whom he has four children: Safia Yonis, Zacharia Yonis, Fatima Yonis and Ahmed Yonis.In a professional capacity, he serves as the Deputy Joint Special Representative for Operations and Management in the African Union-United Nations Hybrid...
- Deputy Joint United Nations African Union Special Representative for Darfur - Mohamed Mohamud IbrahimMohamed Mohamud Ibrahim-Biography:From 2008 to 2011, Ibrahim lived in Harlesden in the United Kingdom, where he worked as an English support teacher at the Newman Catholic College....
, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somalia - Yasin Haji Osman SharmarkeYasin Haji Osman Sharmarke-History:Sharmarke was born to a Majerteen Darod family.He was the leader of the Somali Youth League , Somalia's first political party. Having also been instrumental in the organization's creation, Sharmarke and other early SYL nationalists were strongly influenced by the religious rebellion at the...
, founding member and first leader of the Somali Youth LeagueSomali Youth LeagueThe Somali Youth League was the first political party in Somalia. It played a key role in the nation's road to independence during the 1950s and 1960s.-History:... - Farah MaalimFarah MaalimFarah Maalim Mohamed is a renowned ethnic Somali politician with almost two decades of experience on the Kenyan political scene. He is the current Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya.-Biography:...
current deputy speaker of the Kenyan parliament.
Scientists
- Shaykh SufiShaykh SufiAbd Al-Rahman bin Abdallah al Shashi , popularly known as Shaykh Sufi, was a 19th century Somali scholar, poet, reformist and astrologist.-Life:...
(1829–1904) – 19th century Somali scholar, poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, reformist and astrologist. - Hassan al-JabartiHassan al-JabartiHassan al Jabarti was a Somali mathematician, theologian, astronomer and philosopher who lived in Cairo, Egypt during the 18th century.-Biography:...
(d.1774) – Somali mathematicianMathematicianA mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
, theologian, astronomerAstronomerAn astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
and philosopher, considered one of the great scholars of the 18th century. - Warsame AliWarsame AliWarsame Ali is a Somali scientist and assistant professor at Prairie View A&M University, specialized in aerospace technology. He has previously worked for NASA.-Biography:...
– Somali scientistScientistA scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
and assistant professor at Prairie View A&M UniversityPrairie View A&M UniversityPrairie View A&M University is a historically black university located in Prairie View, Texas and is a member of the Texas A&M University System. PVAMU offers baccalaureate degrees in 50 academic majors, 37 master’s degrees and four doctoral degree programs through nine colleges and schools...
, specialized in aerospaceAerospaceAerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
technologyTechnologyTechnology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
. He has previously worked for NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. - Ali Said FaqiAli Said FaqiAli Said Faqi is a Somali scientist and the leading researcher on the design and interpretation of toxicology studies at the MPI research center in Mattawan, Michigan.-Biography:...
– Somali scientist and the leading researcherResearcherA researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...
on the design and interpretation of toxicologyToxicologyToxicology is a branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms...
studies at the MPI research center in Mattawan, MichiganMattawan, MichiganMattawan is a village suburb of Kalamazoo, in Antwerp Township, Van Buren County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,536.-History:...
. - Jama Musse JamaJama Musse JamaJama Musse Jama is a prominent Somali ethnomathematician and author. He is notable for his research on traditional Somali boardgames such as Shax.-Biography:...
- prominent Somali ethnomathematicianEthnomathematicsIn mathematics education, ethnomathematics is the study of the relationship between mathematics and culture . Often associated with "cultures without written expression" , it may also be defined as "'the mathematics which is practised among identifiable cultural groups'" In mathematics education,...
and authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. He is notable for his research on traditional Somali boardgames such as Shax and the history of mathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
in the Horn of AfricaHorn of AfricaThe Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
. - Abdusalam AbubakarAbdusalam AbubakarAbdusalam Abubakar is a Somali-born Irish scientist from County Dublin. He was the winner of the 43rd Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in 2007 at the age of seventeen. He went on to be named EU Young Scientist of the Year in September 2007....
- one of the youngest winners of the BT Young Scientist of the Year Award who later went on to win the European Union Contest for Young Scientists for his project, which was entitled An Extension of Wiener’s Attack on RSA. - Aden Ibrahim Aw HirsiAden Ibrahim Aw HirsiAden Aw Hirsi is a Somali politician and author who specializes in political science.-Biography:The great grandson of Sheikh Aw Hirsi, a well-known Qadiri sufi leader, Aden Ibrahim Aw Hirsi, nicknamed 'Irro was born in 1968 in the southern Gedo region of Somalia.-Education:He attended primary and...
- author who specializes in Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and political science - Amina Said AliAmina Said AliAmina Said Ali is a Somali author, poet, and medical scientist at the Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm, Sweden.She was on a roundtable at the "Somalis in America Conference", 2004.She is on the Advisory Board of Bildhaan.-Works:*...
- author, poet, and medical scientist based in Stockholm, Sweden. - Alim Ahmed FatahNational Institute of Standards and TechnologyThe National Institute of Standards and Technology , known between 1901 and 1988 as the National Bureau of Standards , is a measurement standards laboratory, otherwise known as a National Metrological Institute , which is a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce...
- senior scientist, chemist and inventor of the self-adhesive postage stamp. - Ahmed Mumin WarfaAhmed Mumin WarfaAhmed Mumin Warfa is a Somali scientist specializing in botany, who with his colleague Mats Thulin discovered Cyclamen somalense, the newest species to be described.-Somalia:...
- scientist, specialised in BotanyBotanyBotany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and jointly discovered the Cyclamen somalense, the first genusGenusIn biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
from Tropical AfricaTropical AfricaAlthough tropical Africa is most familiar in the West as depicted by its rain forests, this region of Africa is far more diverse. While the tropics are thought of as regions with warm to hot moist climates caused by latitude and the tropical rain belt, the geology of areas, particularly mountain...
with his colleague Mats Thulin. Dr. Warfa is the "world’s pre-eminent authority on frankincense", and a professor at Salt Lake Community CollegeSalt Lake Community CollegeSalt Lake Community College is the largest higher education institution with the most diverse student body in Utah . The College offers and operates throughout the Salt Lake valley. Even with its large student body, the College maintains a student to faculty ratio of just 20 to 1...
. - Osman Aden AbdulleOsman Aden AbdulleOsman Aden Abdulle is a prominent Somali physician and geneticist.-Biography:Osman is the son of Somalia's first president Aden Abdulle Osman Daar. He is the director of the Blood Transfusion Service in Mogadishu, and is the World Health Organization's representative in Somalia...
- prominent Somali geneticistGeneticistA geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...
that has studied the Somali blood type and it's ethnogenesisEthnogenesisEthnogenesis is the process by which a group of human beings comes to be understood or to understand themselves as ethnically distinct from the wider social landscape from which their grouping emerges...
. In 1987 he jointly discovered with his colleagues a new Rh geneRHCE (gene)Blood group Rh polypeptide is a protein that in humans is encoded by the RHCE gene. RHCE has also recently been designated CD240CE ....
complexComplexA complex is a whole that comprehends a number of intricate parts, especially one with interconnected or mutually related parts; for example, a complex of buildings.Complex may refer to:-Biology:...
producing the rare Cx (Rh9) antigenAntigenAn antigen is a foreign molecule that, when introduced into the body, triggers the production of an antibody by the immune system. The immune system will then kill or neutralize the antigen that is recognized as a foreign and potentially harmful invader. These invaders can be molecules such as...
in the Somali populationSomali peopleSomalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
.
Theologians
- Sheikh Uways Al-Barawi (1847–1909) – Somali scholar credited with reviving IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in 19th century East AfricaEast AfricaEast Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
and with followers in YemenYemenThe Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
and IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. - Sa'id of MogadishuSa'id of MogadishuSa'id of Mogadishu was a 14th century Somali scholar and traveler.-Biography:Sa'id left Mogadishu as a teenager to study in Mecca and Medina, where he remained for 28 years gathering knowledge and gaining many disciples...
– 14th century Somali scholar and travelTravelTravel is the movement of people or objects between relatively distant geographical locations. 'Travel' can also include relatively short stays between successive movements.-Etymology:...
er. His reputation as a scholar earned him audiences with the Amirs of MeccaMeccaMecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
and MedinaMedinaMedina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
. He travelled across the Muslim worldMuslim worldThe term Muslim world has several meanings. In a religious sense, it refers to those who adhere to the teachings of Islam, referred to as Muslims. In a cultural sense, it refers to Islamic civilization, inclusive of non-Muslims living in that civilization...
and visited BengalBengalBengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
and ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. - Abd al-Rahman al-JabartiAbd al-Rahman al-JabartiAbd al-Rahman al-Jabarti or in Egyptian Arabic el Gabarti was a Somali–Egyptian Muslim scholar and chronicler who spent most of his life in Cairo.-Biography:While little is known of his life, according to Franz Steiner, al-Jabarti was...
(1753–1825) – Somali scholar living in CairoCairoCairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
that recorded the Napoleonic invasion of Egypt. - Shaykh Abd Al-Rahman bin Ahmad al-Zayla'i (1820–1882) – Somali scholar who played a crucial role in the spread of the Qadiriyyah movement in Somalia and East AfricaEast AfricaEast Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
. - Shaykh Muhammad Al-Sumaalee (b. 1910–2005) – Somali scholar and teacher in the Masjid Al-HaramMasjid al-HaramAl-Masjid al-Ḥarām is the largest mosque in the world. Located in the city of Mecca, it surrounds the Kaaba, the place which Muslims worldwide turn towards while performing daily prayers and is Islam's holiest place...
in MeccaMeccaMecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
. He influenced many of the prominent Islamic scholars of today. - Ali al-JabartiAli al-JabartiAli al-Jabarti was a 16th century Somali scholar and politician in the Mamluk Empire. He lived in Cairo, Egypt and was a member of the Riwaq Al Jabarti quarter of the Al Azhar University....
(d.1492) – 16th century Somali scholar and politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in the Mamluk EmpireMamlukA Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
. - Uthman bin Ali Zayla'iUthman bin Ali Zayla'iUthman bin Ali Zayla'i was a 14th century Somali theologian and jurist from Zeila.-Biography:Zayla'i traveled extensively throughout the Muslim world during his lifetime...
– 14th century Somali theologian and juristJuristA jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
who wrote the single most authoritative text on the HanafiHanafiThe Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani...
school of IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, consisting of four volumes known as the Tabayin al-Haqa’iq li Sharh Kanz al-Daqa’iq. - Abdallah al-QutbiAbdallah al-QutbiAbdallah Yusuf al-Qutbi was a Somali polemicist, theologian and philosopher who lived during the 19th and 20th centuries in Somalia.-Biography:...
(1879–1952) – Somali polemicist theologian and philosopher. - Abd al Aziz al-AmawiAbd al Aziz al-AmawiAbd al Aziz al-Amawi was a 19th century Somali diplomat, historian, poet, jurist and scholar living in the Sultanate of Zanzibar.-Biography:...
(1832–1896) – 19th century influential Somali diplomatDiplomatA diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
, historianHistorianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, juristJuristA jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
and scholar living in the Sultanate of Zanzibar.