This article is about a person whose name includes a patronymic. The article properly refers to the person by their given name, Mohamed, and not as Abdullahi Mohamed.
Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (Somali:Maxamed Cabdullaahi Maxamed,born 11 March 1962),commonly known as Farmaajo,is a Somali politician and diplomat who served as the 9th President of Somalia from 2017 to 2022 and as Prime Minister from 2010 to 2011. His presidency focused on combating corruption and rebuilding the Somali National Army as part of broader state-building efforts. Since 2012,he has been the founder and leader of the Nabad iyo Nolol political party.
Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo was born in Mogadishu on 11 March 1962,into the Marehan,a sub-clan of the Darod. His parents were politically active and affiliated with the Somali Youth League (SYL),the country’s first political party. His father also worked as a civil servant in the Department of Transportation during the 1970s.[2][3][4]
In the early 1980s,Farmaajo began his career in Somalia’s civil service. Between 1982 and 1985,he worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in an administrative role,and from 1985 to 1988 he served at the Somali Embassy in Washington,D.C. [2]This period introduced him to diplomacy and public service,and shaped his later views on Somali state-building.[3][5]
After relocating to the United States,Farmaajo pursued higher education at the State University of New York at Buffalo,where he received a Bachelor’s degree in History in 1993[5]. He later earned a Master’s degree in Political Science,completing a thesis titled “U.S. Strategic Interest in Somalia:From the Cold War Era to the War on Terror.”[3][4]
Alongside his studies,Farmaajo also taught leadership and conflict resolution.[3][6]
Political career
Prime Minister (2010–2011)
On 15 October 2010,President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed appointed Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo as Prime Minister of Somalia.[4] He was formally sworn in on 1 November 2010 at Villa Somalia,Mogadishu.[7]
Upon assuming office,Farmaajo quickly became one of the most prominent political figures in the country,introducing reforms that reshaped expectations of governance in Somalia. His tenure was noted for a focus on security sector reform,government accountability,and the fight against corruption,which distinguished him from previous administrations.[7]
Reforms
During his first 50 days in office,Farmaajo's administration initiated the implementation of a full biometric registration system for the security forces,with the goal of completing the process within four months.[6][4]Members of the Independent Constitutional Commission were also appointed to engage Somali constitutional lawyers,religious scholars and experts in Somali culture over the nation's scheduled new constitution,a key part of the government's Transitional Federal Tasks. High-level federal delegations were dispatched to defuse clan-related tensions in several regions.[6][8]
To improve transparency,Cabinet ministers fully disclosed their assets and signed a code of ethics. An Anti-Corruption Commission with the power to carry out formal investigations and to review government decisions and protocols was also established so as to more closely monitor all activities by public officials. Furthermore,unnecessary trips abroad by members of government were prohibited,and all travel by ministers now require the Premier's consent.[8][7] A budget outlining 2011's federal expenditures was also put before and approved by members of parliament,with the payment of civil service employees prioritized. In addition,a full audit of government property and vehicles was to be put into place.[8]
Senior Advisor Abdirahman Omar Osman,mentioned Farmaajo's attention to road repair,reopening public schools and the regular payment of soldiers and civil servants as issues which brought him support from the people during his brief tenure.[9]
The Kampala Accord was an agreement overseen by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and United Nations Special Envoy Augustine Mahiga,aimed at resolving political disputes within the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and bringing an end to its transitional phase.[4][5][8] As part of the accord,Prime Minister Farmaajo was asked to resign. According to reports,parliamentary speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden opposed Farmaajo's appointment,primarily due to disagreements with the Prime Minister’s reformist approach. Farmaajo sought to establish a more technocratic cabinet,emphasizing competence and efficiency over the traditional clan-based power-sharing formula. While this departure from entrenched practices was welcomed by many Somalis who desired accountable governance,it provoked resistance from political figures whose influence was diminished.[9][5][4]
Analysts noted that Farmaajo's resignation was controversial,as it came at a time when his reform agenda—particularly in security sector restructuring and anti-corruption efforts—was gaining momentum and broad public support. Following his departure from office,protests were reported in Mogadishu and among Somali diaspora communities. After stepping down,Farmaajo returned to the United States,where he resumed his position at the New York State Department of Transportation,before re-entering Somali politics in the following years.[10][11][12][13][14]
Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo was a candidate in the 2012 Somali presidential election,which was the first indirect presidential vote held inside Somalia in decades. Although he did not advance to the final round,his campaign was seen as a significant moment in Somali politics.[3][15]
According to analysts,Farmaajo's candidacy was notable for the broad support it generated both domestically and within the Somali diaspora. His reputation as a reformist from his brief tenure as Prime Minister,particularly his emphasis on security reform and anti-corruption measures,helped distinguish him from other candidates. Many Somalis viewed his participation as a signal of the growing demand for leaders focused on governance and accountability rather than patronage politics.[15]
In February 2017,Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo stood as a candidate for the Somali presidency under the Nabad iyo Nolol (“Peace and Life”) political movement. His platform emphasized security reform,anti-corruption measures,and national unity. On 8 February 2017,the Somali Federal Parliament held the presidential election in Mogadishu. Farmaajo advanced through the rounds of voting and entered the third and final round against incumbent President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.[8]
In the final tally,Farmaajo received 184 votes out of 329,after which Hassan Sheikh Mohamud conceded before the full results were announced. His election was celebrated with large public gatherings in Mogadishu and other Somali cities.
Observers described the outcome as a historic transfer of power,noting that legislators faced significant pressure from constituencies and diaspora communities to support Farmaajo's candidacy. The result was widely interpreted as a mandate for reform and accountability,and as a rejection of entrenched corruption and stagnation in Somali politics.
Presidential term (2017–2022)
Mohamed with US Secretary of Defense James Mattis in 2017
Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo assumed the presidency of Somalia on 8 February 2017 after winning the parliamentary vote in Mogadishu. His tenure was characterized by a strong emphasis on security sector reform,anti-corruption,economic restructuring,and state-building,alongside efforts to restore Somalia’s international standing. Between 2017 and 2022,his administration undertook reforms across governance,justice,economy,social services,and foreign policy.[16][17]
President Farmajo with the Emir of Qatar in 2018
Justice and the judiciary
The justice sector was identified as a core pillar of state-building. During Farmaajo's tenure,Somalia established the Judicial Service Council for the first time,regarded as a foundational step toward a more independent and professional judiciary. The government operationalized the Justice and Corrections Model of Somalia,clarifying the respective roles of courts,prosecutors,prisons,and rehabilitation services. In April 2021 nine commissioners of the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission were sworn in. Custodial infrastructure was expanded through the construction and rehabilitation of facilities in several federal member states;Mogadishu Central Prison was renovated;custodial farms and vocational workshops were reopened;and an education programme at the Central Prison enabled inmates to study up to secondary level. The Afgooye Orphanage Centre was revived to support approximately 300 vulnerable children. These measures were presented as part of a broader effort to strengthen the rule of law and restore public confidence in state institutions.[18]
Economic reform and public finance
The administration undertook wide-ranging public financial management reforms. All civil servants and members of the security forces were enrolled biometrically through the Somalia Financial Management Information System,a change intended to eliminate ghost workers and payroll leakages. Salary arrears that had accumulated prior to 2017 were addressed,and wages were thereafter paid regularly and deposited directly into individual bank accounts. Parliament enacted a series of economic and financial statutes—including the Customs Law,Revenue Law,Public Financial Management Law,Public Procurement Law,Petroleum Law,and the Telecommunications Act—aimed at modernizing the legal framework. Over the period the national budget increased from US$168 million (end-2016) to US$377 million (2021),while domestic revenue rose from approximately US$113 million to about US$230 million,growth attributed by the government to tighter revenue administration and reduced leakages.[19]
Debt relief and international financial integration
On 25 March 2020 Somalia reached the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Decision Point under the IMF–World Bank framework. At that stage Paris Club creditors agreed to cancel more than US$1.4 billion of approximately US$3 billion owed,with commitments to cancel remaining eligible amounts at Completion Point. The IMF,IDA (World Bank) and the African Development Bank collectively agreed to cancel around US$806 million of roughly US$974 million owed,with the balance to be addressed at Completion Point. Separate bilateral understandings,including with the Russian Federation,complemented negotiations opened with non-Paris Club creditors for an estimated US$1 billion. Observers credited the outcome to the pace of fiscal and governance reforms undertaken since 2017.[20]
Anti-corruption and governance
Anti-corruption measures were presented as central to the administration’s programme. The Independent Anti-Corruption Commission became operational in 2021. According to official reporting,civil servants implicated in misappropriation of public funds were investigated,prosecuted,and in some cases imprisoned—the first such prosecutions since state collapse. Direct-to-account salary payments were used to reduce opportunities for diversion,and presidential decrees were issued to protect state-owned land,particularly during electoral periods. These steps formed part of a broader agenda to professionalize the civil service and improve accountability.[21]
President Mohamed with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed
Infrastructure and development
Major transport and logistics projects proceeded during the term. The Mogadishu–Afgooye road (30 km) was completed,while the Mogadishu–Jowhar corridor (90 km) advanced to Balcad with works ongoing,linking the capital to key agricultural districts in Hirshabelle and South West States. Capacity at the Port of Mogadishu was reported to have expanded from 9,133 containers in 2016 to 60,204 containers in 2021. Aden Adde International Airport underwent modernization,including the introduction of night-landing capability. In the agricultural sector the government reported rehabilitation of irrigation canals and adoption of sectoral policies designed to improve food security,including national responses to locust invasions. Energy initiatives focused on regulatory foundations—the adoption of a National Energy Policy,an Electricity Bill,and a 20-year master plan—alongside programmes to electrify households,largely via solar solutions,and Somalia’s accession to the Eastern Africa Power Pool.[22][23]
Social affairs and state institutions
The administration launched the “Is-xilqaan”public works campaign,a volunteer-based initiative that prioritized restoration of national cultural assets. The National Theatre,Stadium Mogadishu,National Museum,and National Library were rehabilitated,together with monuments and selected government buildings. Institution-building proceeded in parallel through the establishment or strengthening of agencies such as the National Civil Registration Authority,National Statistics Authority,National Communications Authority,the Somali Construction Agency,and other sectoral institutes.[24]
Health
President Mohamed with Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire
Public health services were expanded through federal stewardship of Banadir and Martini hospitals,employing approximately 650 government-paid health workers and providing free services to more than 100,000 citizens annually;Banadir Hospital alone reported over 10,000 births per year at no cost. State hospitals across federal member states received rehabilitation and equipment. By 2022 the health workforce was estimated at nearly 24,000 across roughly 1,400 facilities. The health budget increased from US$3.6 million in 2017 to US$35.3 million in 2022. The government led the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic,reporting 448,147 tests conducted,26,431 confirmed cases,1,348 deaths,and administration of 2,113,830 vaccine doses,while maintaining salary payments to civil servants and security personnel during the crisis.[25]
Education
The government reported reopening or establishing more than 50 public schools—24 in Mogadishu and 26 in regional areas—providing free primary and secondary education to over 150,000 students supported by approximately 1,600 staff on payroll. Three technical secondary schools were established in Baraawe (maritime),Balcad (agriculture),and Guriceel (animal husbandry). For the first time since the civil war,a national curriculum was reprinted and two million textbooks were distributed across 38 districts. Teacher professionalization advanced through a national Teacher Professional Test administered to 30,000 teachers,with 5,000 beginning structured training in late 2021;new teacher training institutes opened in Mogadishu and Beledweyne. Somali National University expanded to around 7,000 tuition-free students,reopened the Gaheyr (K7) campus in 2019,and established regional programmes. A National Council for Higher Education was created in 2021 and accredited 41 universities,with continuing evaluations intended to facilitate international recognition of Somali degrees. Scholarship allocation processes were revised to prioritize top national-exam performers,benefitting more than 14,000 students domestically and abroad.[26][27]
Foreign policy and diplomacy
President Mohamed and Prime Minister Roble
The administration of Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo pursued a more independent and sovereignty-based regional policy. In 2018,Somalia,Ethiopia,and Eritrea announced a tripartite agreement aimed at advancing political,economic,and security integration. The pact sought to reduce external interference in the Horn of Africa by encouraging regional self-reliance and mutual support. Among its goals were the facilitation of market access for Somali products,cooperation in counter-terrorism operations,and closer coordination in diplomatic forums. The initiative was widely viewed as a departure from reliance on Gulf or Western actors to mediate regional relations.
Maritime boundary dispute with Kenya
The maritime boundary dispute with Kenya emerged as one of the most high-profile foreign policy issues during Farmaajo’s presidency. The contested waters,located in the Indian Ocean and believed to contain valuable oil and gas reserves,had been subject to overlapping claims since the early 2000s.
Under President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed’s administration,and with the involvement of then–Planning Minister Abdirahman Abdishakur,Somalia signed a 2009 Memorandum of Understanding with Kenya that critics argued undermined Somalia’s sovereignty by conceding to joint submission of the boundary dispute to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. This agreement was widely condemned domestically and later declared unconstitutional by the Transitional Federal Parliament.
During President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s first administration (2012–2017),his government signaled a willingness to seek a negotiated settlement with Kenya in 2014,a position that many Somalis viewed as conciliatory and potentially disadvantageous. Critics argued that this approach risked conceding national resources through bilateral bargaining rather than legal arbitration.
By contrast,when Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo assumed office,his government rejected bilateral negotiations and took a firm stance that the matter should only be resolved through international law. Somalia formally filed a case with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2014,but it was under Farmaajo's presidency that the case was pursued with full political backing,despite Kenyan objections and attempts to delay or withdraw from the proceedings.
After years of hearings and submissions,the ICJ issued its judgment in October 2021,largely siding with Somalia. The ruling redrew the maritime boundary in a manner that secured the majority of the contested area for Somalia. The Farmaajo administration hailed the outcome as a landmark in safeguarding national sovereignty and natural resources,contrasting its approach with earlier governments that had shown more willingness to negotiate bilaterally.
The dispute also had broader regional implications. Relations between Mogadishu and Nairobi deteriorated sharply during this period,with Kenya frequently accused of interfering in Somali domestic affairs,supporting opposition groups,and leveraging its AMISOM troop presence for political pressure. Farmaajo's stance emphasized sovereignty and was presented as a necessary corrective to earlier concessions made during the transitional and post-transitional administrations.
Return of embassies and agencies
During Farmaajo's tenure,Mogadishu experienced a notable expansion in diplomatic activity. More than forty-five embassies and international organizations reopened operations in the capital,reflecting an improved security situation and greater international confidence in Somali institutions. The administration also pressed development agencies that had operated from Nairobi to relocate headquarters to Mogadishu,ensuring that aid resources directly benefited Somalia’s citizens through local employment,infrastructure,and technical training.
This repatriation of diplomatic and development offices marked a symbolic and practical step in Somalia’s normalization of foreign relations. It also reinforced the government’s narrative that Mogadishu was safe enough to host diplomatic missions after decades of absence.
Airspace sovereignty
In December 2017,Somalia regained full sovereign control of its airspace for the first time in nearly three decades. Since the state collapse in 1991,Somalia’s airspace had been managed remotely from Nairobi by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The Farmaajo administration oversaw the establishment of a modern Civil Aviation Authority and the construction of national air traffic control centers staffed by trained Somali professionals. Aviation regulations were updated,and domestic oversight of international carriers resumed. This development was widely seen as a milestone in the restoration of Somalia’s sovereignty and its ability to generate revenue from overflight charges,which had previously been managed externally.
Multilateral representation
Somalia expanded its engagement with multilateral organizations during Farmaajo's presidency. The country served as vice-president of the United Nations General Assembly,was elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council,and secured representation on the Executive Board of the World Health Organization.
Regionally,Somalia joined the Red Sea Council as a founding member,seeking a stronger voice in the geopolitics of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The administration also declined to renew the multinational anti-piracy naval mission in Somali waters,arguing that maritime security had improved significantly under Somali-led initiatives and that sovereignty required greater reliance on domestic institutions rather than indefinite foreign patrols.
Reform,perception,and investment
The government tied its foreign policy agenda closely to broader governance reforms. International financial institutions noted improvements in public financial management and a reduction of corruption in key sectors. For the first time since the state collapse,major donors and partners such as the IMF,World Bank,and African Development Bank routed projects and budget support directly through Somalia’s national financial system.
Investor interest in Somalia grew significantly,supported by the creation of the Somalia Investment Promotion Office (SOMINVEST). Between 2019 and 2021,nearly 1,200 foreign investors engaged with Somalia,particularly in the agriculture,fisheries,construction,energy,and telecommunications sectors. The administration emphasized that improved transparency and stability were reshaping Somalia’s global reputation from that of a fragile state to an emerging investment destination.[28]
Presidential election 2022
The mandate of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo was set to expire in February 2021,alongside that of the Federal Parliament. Preparations for parliamentary elections,however,were disrupted by disputes between the Federal Government,opposition figures,and several Federal Member States. According to observers,these disagreements were partly motivated by fears among some political actors that Farmaajo could secure re-election if the process was completed on schedule.
The resulting deadlock led to a constitutional crisis. Opposition-aligned leaders and certain Federal Member States resisted electoral frameworks advanced by the Federal Government,creating widespread uncertainty over how the transfer of power would proceed.
During this period,Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble,often referred to by critics as “Baahane”,assumed control over the electoral process. Roble acted unilaterally on a number of key decisions,and his tenure was marked by persistent findings of blatant corruption. International partners were widely documented to have intervened directly in Somalia’s internal political process by strengthening Roble’s authority,in effect sidelining the presidency and reshaping the balance of power between the executive offices. This foreign involvement was a defining feature of the crisis and was frequently cited in reports as having influenced the trajectory of the electoral process.
In May 2021,President Farmaajo announced that he would not remain in office beyond his original mandate and called for renewed dialogue. A subsequent agreement restored the process to an indirect electoral model based on consensus between federal and state leaders.
Parliamentary elections took place between late 2021 and early 2022,although they faced multiple delays,disputes over procedures,and accusations of irregularities. The presidential election was ultimately held on 15 May 2022,when the Federal Parliament selected a new head of state following the completion of the indirect electoral process.
The political dispute underscored the fragility of Somalia’s federal institutions. Analysts noted that opposition resistance,regional disputes,unilateral actions by the Prime Minister,and foreign interference significantly disrupted the electoral process,though the eventual transfer of power through parliamentary procedures maintained the principle of political continuity.[29]
Awards and honors
In September 2019,President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo was jointly awarded the Concordia Leadership Award at the annual Concordia Summit held alongside the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He shared the honor with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki,in recognition of their efforts to advance regional peace and cooperation in the Horn of Africa.
During his presidency,Farmaajo also conferred national awards and decorations to Somali officials and institutions,including medals of service to staff of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation for their role in restoring Somalia’s sovereign control of its airspace after nearly three decades.[30]
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