Nur Hassan Hussein
Encyclopedia
Nur 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
.
, two years before Somalia
gained its independence
. He rose through the ranks, becoming an Interpol
liaison officer and eventually the country's chief police officer in charge of planning and training under the former regime of longtime President Siad Barre
.
After completing studies in Law
at the Somalia National University
and the Fiscal Law School in Rome
, Hussein became attorney general, a post he held until 1991 when the Somali Civil War
broke out. He subsequently served as the Secretary General of the Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS).
, nominated Hussein as Prime Minister of the Transitional Federal Government
following the earlier resignation of Ali Mohammed Ghedi
on October 29. Salim Aliyow Ibrow
served as Interim Prime Minister between the tenure of Gedi and Hussein. Hussein was approved by Transitional Federal Parliament
in Baidoa
on November 24, receiving 211 out of 212 votes, and he was sworn in immediately afterwards. Hussein's government, which he described as "all-inclusive", was appointed on December 2, with 73 members; included in the government were 31 ministers, 11 state ministers and 31 assistant ministers. Hussein received some criticism for the exceptionally large size of the Somali government
; according to Hussein, in naming the government he followed the "4.5" formula or quota required by the 2004 Transitional Federal Charter
, which provides for the division of posts between four main clans and a grouping of smaller clans
. Four of the ministers—Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud
(who had been appointed Minister of Home Security), Abdikafi Hassan, Sheikh Aden Maden, and Ibrahim Mohamed Isaq—promptly resigned on December 3, complaining that their clan, the Rahanwein (one of the four major clans), was inadequately represented in the government and that they had not been consulted on their appointments beforehand. On December 4, Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs Sheikh Jama Haji Hussein also resigned, complaining of unfair allocation of posts in the government for his clan, the Jarerweyne, which is one of the smaller clans.
On December 17, Hussein said that he was replacing his previously appointed government with a "smaller, more effective administration". This new government was planned to include only 17 ministers and five deputy ministers, and was also to include people from outside of Parliament.
Hussein appointed 15 ministers and five assistant ministers on January 4, 2008, and they were sworn in on January 5. Three additional ministers remained to be named. Parliament approved the new Cabinet on January 10, with 223 votes in favor, five opposing and two abstaining.
in June 2008 was one of the outcomes of the work of Nur Adde and his government.
Hussein dismissed the Mayor of Mogadishu, Mohamed Omar Habeb Dhere
, on July 30, 2008; he accused Habeeb of incompetence, embezzlement, insubordination, and abuse of power. Habeeb, however, resisted this and said that his dismissal had to be approved by President Yusuf; he claimed to have Yusuf's support to remain in office. According to Hussein, his decision was supported by the people of Mogadishu and by the city's traditional elders. The issue of Habeeb's dismissal was believed to indicate deepening disagreement between Hussein and Yusuf.
Ten ministers (including two deputy prime ministers) and one assistant minister resigned from Hussein's Cabinet on August 2, 2008. The resigning ministers, most of whom were considered supporters of Yusuf, said that Hussein had not consulted them about Habeeb's dismissal; they also criticized Hussein for failing to present a budget to parliament. Hussein reacted by accusing the resigning ministers of trying "to create political instability in the country and disrupt the implementation of the Djibouti agreement between the Somali Transitional Government and the opposition", but he asserted that the government was still functioning properly. At the same time, referring to moves in parliament to impeach him, Hussein said that he was willing to resign if parliament dissolved the government or if doing so would benefit the peace process.
Hussein appointed six new ministers on August 3, saying that the remaining replacements would be appointed after consultations with the people. A no confidence motion
against Hussein and his government was presented in Parliament on August 25. The motion alleged incompetence and embezzlement and criticized the government for failing to present a budget or provide national stability and security. It was submitted by 90 members of Parliament; Parliament had two days to review the motion. Hussein strongly denied the accusations of incompetence and embezzlement.
Hussein and President Yusuf signed a deal on August 26 that was intended to resolve the dispute between them, and they said before Parliament on August 28 that they had agreed on a number of changes, including the addition of five members to the Cabinet and the dissolution of the administrations in Mogadishu and Banadir Region
. The vote of confidence against Hussein's government was held on September 1 and was overwhelmingly defeated; there were 191 votes in favor of the government, nine votes against it, and two abstentions.
On October 29, 2008, the leaders of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development
(IGAD) asked Hussein to form a new Cabinet in hopes of stabilizing the situation. Hussein said on October 31 that he would do so within 15 days, but that the ministers who had resigned would be excluded from the new Cabinet. He also expressed confidence that a new constitution would be "drafted very soon and subjected to a referendum" and that laws pertaining to political parties and elections would be passed by Parliament during the six months to follow.
President Yusuf announced on December 14 that he had dismissed Hussein and his government. Hussein said that Yusuf did not have the power to fire him without parliamentary approval, while Yusuf said that he believed Parliament would endorse the dismissal. Parliament supported Hussein in a vote on December 15, but Yusuf nevertheless appointed Mohamoud Mohamed Gacmodhere
as Prime Minister to replace Hussein on December 16. Mustafa Duhullow, the Minister of Agriculture, described this as a "desperate measure" and a "personal wish that will not have legal effect". Guled announced his resignation on December 24, and Hussein congratulated him on taking "the right step".
Hussein was a candidate for President in the parliamentary vote for that position, held in late January 2009. He placed third in the first round with 59 votes and then withdrew his candidacy; Sharif Ahmed
won the election. Ahmed then chose Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke
to replace Hussein as Prime Minister on February 13.
Hussein has been appointed as Somalia's ambassador to Italy in June 2009.
Prime Minister of Somalia
This page contains a list of the Prime Ministers of Somalia.-Prime Ministers of Somalia :-Affiliations:*SYL - Somali Youth League*SNL - Somali National League...
from November 2007 to February 2009. He is from Mogadishu
Mogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
and is part of the Abgaal
Abgaal
Abgaal is a Somali clan, and part of the major Hawiye clan. Its members live in the Shabeellaha Dhexe, Galguduud, Banaadir, Mudug, Lower Shebelle, Middle Juba, and Jubbada Hoose regions of Central and southern Somalia...
sub-clan of the Hawiye
Hawiye
The Hawiye is a Somali clan. Members of the clan primarily live in central and southern Somalia, in the Ogaden and the North Eastern Province , and in smaller numbers in other countries. Like many Somalis, Hawiye members trace their ancestry to Irir Samaale...
.
Early career
Hussein began his professional career in 1958 as a customs officerCustoms officer
A customs officer is a law enforcement agent who enforces customs laws, on behalf of a government.-Hong Kong:4 931 posts, of which nine are directorate officers, 3 804 are members of the Customs and Excise Department, 504 are Trade Controls Officers and 614 are staff of the General and Common...
, two years before 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...
gained its independence
History of Somalia
Somalia , 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...
. He rose through the ranks, becoming an Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
liaison officer and eventually the country's chief police officer in charge of planning and training under the former regime of longtime President Siad Barre
Siad Barre
Mohamed 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 ....
.
After completing studies in Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the Somalia National University
Somalia National University
The Somali National University was the national university of Somalia. The university campus was located near KM6, in the capital Mogadishu.-General:...
and the Fiscal Law School in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Hussein became attorney general, a post he held until 1991 when the Somali Civil War
Somali Civil War
The Somali Civil War is an ongoing civil war taking place in Somalia. The conflict, which began in 1991, has caused destabilisation throughout the country, with the current phase of the conflict seeing the Somali government losing substantial control of the state to rebel forces...
broke out. He subsequently served as the Secretary General of the Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS).
Prime minister
On November 22, 2007, then President of Somalia, Abdullahi Yusuf AhmedAbdullahi Yusuf Ahmed
Abdullahi 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...
, nominated Hussein as Prime Minister of the Transitional Federal Government
Transitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional...
following the earlier resignation of Ali Mohammed Ghedi
Ali Mohammed Ghedi
Ali 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...
on October 29. Salim Aliyow Ibrow
Salim Aliyow Ibrow
Salim Aliyow Ibrow is a Somali politician. He was the interim Prime Minister of Somalia from October 29, 2007 to November 24, 2007, following the resignation of Ali Mohammed Ghedi.-Biography:...
served as Interim Prime Minister between the tenure of Gedi and Hussein. Hussein was approved by Transitional Federal Parliament
Transitional Federal Parliament
The Transitional Federal Parliament of the Somali Republic is an interim Parliament of Somalia formed in neighboring Kenya in 2004.The Transitional Federal Parliament has 550 members representing Somalia's clans, Islamist opposition, representatives of citizens' groups and the Somali...
in Baidoa
Baidoa
Baidoa is a city in south-central Somalia, situated by road northwest of the capital Mogadishu. It is the capital of the Bay region, which is traditionally inhabited by the Digil and Mirifle clans....
on November 24, receiving 211 out of 212 votes, and he was sworn in immediately afterwards. Hussein's government, which he described as "all-inclusive", was appointed on December 2, with 73 members; included in the government were 31 ministers, 11 state ministers and 31 assistant ministers. Hussein received some criticism for the exceptionally large size of the Somali government
Politics of Somalia
The politics of Somalia are defined by the state of civil war which, since 1991, has divided the country. What started out as various warring entities and autonomist and secessionist regions fighting for control developed into a fragile government fighting an Islamic insurgency. In 1991, Mohammed...
; according to Hussein, in naming the government he followed the "4.5" formula or quota required by the 2004 Transitional Federal Charter
Transitional Federal Charter of the Somali Republic
The Transitional Federal Charter of the Somali Republic, or TFC is the principle organizing document of the Somali Republic, written and approved in February 2004 in Nairobi, Kenya...
, which provides for the division of posts between four main clans and a grouping of smaller clans
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...
. Four of the ministers—Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud
Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud
Colonel Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud is a Somali faction leader, and chairman of the Rahanweyn Resistance Army , which sought to establish the autonomous state of Southwestern Somalia. Recently, he is said to have played a role in the capture of Mogadishu by Ethiopian and Transitional Federal...
(who had been appointed Minister of Home Security), Abdikafi Hassan, Sheikh Aden Maden, and Ibrahim Mohamed Isaq—promptly resigned on December 3, complaining that their clan, the Rahanwein (one of the four major clans), was inadequately represented in the government and that they had not been consulted on their appointments beforehand. On December 4, Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs Sheikh Jama Haji Hussein also resigned, complaining of unfair allocation of posts in the government for his clan, the Jarerweyne, which is one of the smaller clans.
On December 17, Hussein said that he was replacing his previously appointed government with a "smaller, more effective administration". This new government was planned to include only 17 ministers and five deputy ministers, and was also to include people from outside of Parliament.
Hussein appointed 15 ministers and five assistant ministers on January 4, 2008, and they were sworn in on January 5. Three additional ministers remained to be named. Parliament approved the new Cabinet on January 10, with 223 votes in favor, five opposing and two abstaining.
Peacekeeping and difficulties in office
Since the Prime Minister came to office, he has pushed for continued peace and unity amongst the Somali nation. The peacekeeping truce which was signed in DjiboutiDjibouti
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...
in June 2008 was one of the outcomes of the work of Nur Adde and his government.
Hussein dismissed the Mayor of Mogadishu, Mohamed Omar Habeb Dhere
Mohamed Omar Habeb Dhere
Mohamed Omar Habeb is a Somali warlord based out of the city of Jowhar. He hails from the Abgaal subclan of Hawiye. He also has significant influence on the northern parts of the capital Mogadishu where he control a militia of around 400 men....
, on July 30, 2008; he accused Habeeb of incompetence, embezzlement, insubordination, and abuse of power. Habeeb, however, resisted this and said that his dismissal had to be approved by President Yusuf; he claimed to have Yusuf's support to remain in office. According to Hussein, his decision was supported by the people of Mogadishu and by the city's traditional elders. The issue of Habeeb's dismissal was believed to indicate deepening disagreement between Hussein and Yusuf.
Ten ministers (including two deputy prime ministers) and one assistant minister resigned from Hussein's Cabinet on August 2, 2008. The resigning ministers, most of whom were considered supporters of Yusuf, said that Hussein had not consulted them about Habeeb's dismissal; they also criticized Hussein for failing to present a budget to parliament. Hussein reacted by accusing the resigning ministers of trying "to create political instability in the country and disrupt the implementation of the Djibouti agreement between the Somali Transitional Government and the opposition", but he asserted that the government was still functioning properly. At the same time, referring to moves in parliament to impeach him, Hussein said that he was willing to resign if parliament dissolved the government or if doing so would benefit the peace process.
Hussein appointed six new ministers on August 3, saying that the remaining replacements would be appointed after consultations with the people. A no confidence motion
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
against Hussein and his government was presented in Parliament on August 25. The motion alleged incompetence and embezzlement and criticized the government for failing to present a budget or provide national stability and security. It was submitted by 90 members of Parliament; Parliament had two days to review the motion. Hussein strongly denied the accusations of incompetence and embezzlement.
Hussein and President Yusuf signed a deal on August 26 that was intended to resolve the dispute between them, and they said before Parliament on August 28 that they had agreed on a number of changes, including the addition of five members to the Cabinet and the dissolution of the administrations in Mogadishu and Banadir Region
Banaadir
Banaadir is a region in southeastern Somalia.-Overview:The Somali term Banaadir derives from the original Persian word بندر bandar, meaning "port" or "harbour"...
. The vote of confidence against Hussein's government was held on September 1 and was overwhelmingly defeated; there were 191 votes in favor of the government, nine votes against it, and two abstentions.
On October 29, 2008, the leaders of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development
Intergovernmental Authority on Development
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development is an eight-country regional development organization in East Africa. Its headquarters are located in Djibouti City....
(IGAD) asked Hussein to form a new Cabinet in hopes of stabilizing the situation. Hussein said on October 31 that he would do so within 15 days, but that the ministers who had resigned would be excluded from the new Cabinet. He also expressed confidence that a new constitution would be "drafted very soon and subjected to a referendum" and that laws pertaining to political parties and elections would be passed by Parliament during the six months to follow.
President Yusuf announced on December 14 that he had dismissed Hussein and his government. Hussein said that Yusuf did not have the power to fire him without parliamentary approval, while Yusuf said that he believed Parliament would endorse the dismissal. Parliament supported Hussein in a vote on December 15, but Yusuf nevertheless appointed Mohamoud Mohamed Gacmodhere
Mohamoud Mohamed Gacmodhere
Dr. Mohamed Mohamud Guled Ga'modhere was Somalia's Interior Minister, and formerly the Minister of Public Works and Housing. His portfolio was swapped on February 7, 2007, with that of Hussein Mohamed Farah Aidid.-Biography:...
as Prime Minister to replace Hussein on December 16. Mustafa Duhullow, the Minister of Agriculture, described this as a "desperate measure" and a "personal wish that will not have legal effect". Guled announced his resignation on December 24, and Hussein congratulated him on taking "the right step".
Hussein was a candidate for President in the parliamentary vote for that position, held in late January 2009. He placed third in the first round with 59 votes and then withdrew his candidacy; Sharif Ahmed
Sharif Ahmed
Sharif Sheikh Ahmed is the current President of Somalia and former Commander in Chief of the Islamic Courts Union .-Biography:...
won the election. Ahmed then chose Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke is a Somali diplomat and politician. He is the former Prime Minister of Somalia.-Biography:...
to replace Hussein as Prime Minister on February 13.
Hussein has been appointed as Somalia's ambassador to Italy in June 2009.