Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed

Mohamed is a Somali citizen. Prior to August 2019, he also held American citizenship, which he voluntarily renounced.

In August 2019 after two and a half years in office, it was announced by the Presidential office that President Mohamed intended to renounce his U.S. citizenship. No reason was given which prompted speculation as to why. During his time in office, the U.S. has dramatically increased airstrikes against al-Shabab, re-established the American diplomatic presence in Somalia, and presented Mohamed with a trucker cap that said “Make Somalia Great Again.”

Mohamed ran for president against 19 opponents. His campaign was based on nationalism, freedom from famine, and the defeat of the Islamic militant movement of Al-Shabaab. The voters were limited to 275 members of parliament and 54 senators, and there were widespread reports of vote-buying. In a run-off, he ran against three remaining candidates, until incumbent President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud conceded. As a result, Mohamed won the 2017 elections on 8 February and was sworn into office on 16 February. During his inauguration, Somalia's new president called on al Shabaab fighters and other Islamist militant groups to surrender. "To those who work with al Qaeda, al Shabaab and IS (Islamic State), your time is finished," he said at the inauguration ceremony.

In response, Prime Minister Mohamed released a statement through the state-run Radio Mogadishu commending the military for its rapid response and urging its troops to exercise restraint. He also appealed to the public to calm down, and indicated that "I have seen your expressions and heard your calls[...] You are part of the decision making—what you want must be heard." Additionally, in a press conference, the Premier called for the immediate release of all protestors who had been detained, and stated that his administration would launch an independent investigation into their arrest. Weighing in on the demonstrations, Mogadishu's Mayor Mohamed Nur suggested that putting the issue before Parliament for approval would be a democratic course of action.

In August 2013, Mohamed served as a keynote speaker at the Fourth Annual Ohio Somali Graduation Program in Columbus, Ohio. The event brought together hundreds of students, parents, professionals and leaders to honor the state's Somali secondary and tertiary graduates. Former Minister of Education of Somalia Hassan Ali Mire was a guest speaker, with financial scholarships awarded to the most outstanding pupils.

In early 2012, Mohamed and members of his former Cabinet established the Tayo ("Quality") political party, so named after the generally favorable reputation that his administration earned during its brief tenure under President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

In early August 2012, Mohamed presented himself as a presidential candidate in Somalia's 2012 elections but was eliminated in the first round of voting.

To improve transparency, Cabinet ministers fully disclosed their assets and signed a code of ethics. An Anti-Corruption Commission with the power to carry out formal investigations and to review government decisions and protocols was also established so as to more closely monitor all activities by public officials. Furthermore, unnecessary trips abroad by members of government were prohibited, and all travel by ministers now require the Premier's consent. A budget outlining 2011's federal expenditures was also put before and approved by members of parliament, with the payment of civil service employees prioritized. In addition, a full audit of government property and vehicles is being put into place.

On 11 June 2011, Prime Minister Mohamed released a statement indicating that the Kampala decision ought to be presented in Parliament for debate and appraised according to the laws stipulated in the national constitution. The Premier also stated that he would only step down if lawmakers voted to uphold the accord. This was echoed by the Cabinet, which indicated in a press release that, after having convened to discuss the Kampala decision, the Ministers agreed that the accord must be put before Parliament for evaluation. In addition, over 200 parliamentarians reportedly sought to urge the Prime Minister to reconvene Parliament so as to deliberate the decision, indicating in a separate statement that the accord deprived MPs of their legislative role vis-a-vis the government.

On 12 June 2011, President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed released a statement wherein he condemned the violent protests, describing them as "illegal". He also suggested that some government officials were financing the rallies in Mogadishu, and warned that the Al-Shabaab group of Islamists that is waging war against the federal government could try to exploit the gatherings to launch terrorist attacks.

In an interview on 16 June 2011, the Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs of Italy, Alfredo Mantica, expressed support for Prime Minister Mohamed's position with regard to the Kampala agreement. Mantica stated that the Italian government believed that the accord ought to be reviewed in Parliament. He also indicated that "the prime minister has been in office five months. And [it is too] early to judge his work. But what he has done so far has been very positive. It has achieved important results. The government already seemed a miracle[...] The strength of the instability in Somalia is a constant. And the prime minister represents stability."

Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed resigned from his position as Prime Minister of Somalia on 19 June 2011. Part of the controversial Kampala Accord's conditions, the agreement would also see the mandates of the President, the Parliament Speaker, and Deputies extended until August 2012, after which point new elections are to be organized. In his farewell speech, Prime Minister Mohamed indicated that he was stepping down in "the interest of the Somali people and the current situation in Somalia". He also thanked his Cabinet for its efforts in improving the security situation and the standards of governance in the country.

Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, Mohamed's former Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, was appointed as Acting Premier later the same day. A few days later, on 23 June 2011, Ali was named permanent Prime Minister.

Sheikh Hussein Ali Fidow, a spokesman for Al Shabaab militants, told reporters on 22 June 2011 that "it is clear for the Somali people and the international community that [the] Kampala meeting [on] Somalia was aimed to coerce the Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed to step down". In addition, the Al Shabaab spokesman suggested that Somalia's citizenry was aware of what was going on and that it (Al Shabaab) did not recognize President Sharif Ahmed and the Parliament Speaker Sharif Hassan as legitimate governmental authorities.

On 24 June 2011, lawmakers reaffirmed their opposition to and intention of repealing the Kampala decision. The Chairman of the federal Information, Public Awareness, Culture, and Heritage Committee, Awad Ahmed Ashareh, indicated that 165 legislators had tendered a motion in Parliament opposing the agreement, but the Speaker rebuffed it. Ashareh also stated that MPs would issue a vote of no confidence vis-a-vis the Speaker Hassan if he continued to refuse to permit debate to take place, suggesting that Hassan's refusal "contravenes the Charter and rules of procedure."

Following talks with parliamentarians, President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed asserted on 28 June 2011 that, on account of opposition among legislators to the Kampala Accord, it would be brought before Parliament for deliberation. He also indicated that the agreement would not be implemented unless approved by lawmakers.

On 14 October 2010, Mohamed was appointed the new Prime Minister of Somalia. He replaced Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, who resigned the month before following a protracted dispute with the President. Lawmakers overwhelmingly approved Mohamed's appointment on 31 October 2010. 297 of the 392 Members of Parliament endorsed the selection via hand-raising; 92 MPs voted against and 3 abstained.

On 1 November 2010, Mohamed was sworn into office at a ceremony held in the presidential residence, Villa Somalia.

On 12 November 2010, Mohamed named a new Cabinet, as per the Transitional Federal Government's (TFG) Charter.

President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed welcomed the new Cabinet and encouraged parliament to endorse the appointments. Parliament approved Mohamed's new government on 27 November 2010. 251 of the 343 lawmakers that attended the voting session endorsed the Cabinet, while 92 legislators opposed it.

Overseen by the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and the U.N. Special Envoy to Somalia Augustine Mahiga, the Kampala Accord would see the technocratic Cabinet that Prime Minister Mohamed had assembled in November 2010 re-composed to make way for a new government. Announcement of Prime Minister Mohamed's proposed resignation was immediately met with violent protests in various cities.

From 1994 to 1997, Mohamed was chosen as an at-large Commissioner for the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority, and worked there as the finance chairman. He also served as case manager for a lead abatement program in the city from 1995 to 1999. Between 2000 and 2002, Mohamed was a minority business coordinator for the Erie County Division of Equal Employment Opportunity. From 2002 until his appointment as Prime Minister in late 2010, he worked as Commissioner for Equal Employment at the New York State Department of Transportation in Buffalo.

In an administrative capacity, Mohamed worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia before the collapse of the central government in 1991 and the ensuing civil war. Between 1985 and 1988, he also acted as First Secretary in the Somali embassy in Washington and worked with various human rights organizations.

Mohamed attended a boarding school in Somalia. Between 1985 and 1988, he worked as a secretary in the Somali embassy in Washington, D.C.. Between 1989 and 1993, he completed a Bachelor's degree in History and a Masters Degree in Political Science from the University at Buffalo in Buffalo, New York.

His parents were activists affiliated with the Somali Youth League (SYL), Somalia's first political party. During the 1970s, his father worked as a civil servant in the national Department of Transportation.

Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (born 11 March 1962), also known as Farmaajo, is a Somali politician and diplomat who has served as the 9th and current President of Somalia since 16 February 2017. At the time of his election he had dual Somali and U.S. citizenship. He was previously a Prime Minister of Somalia from November 2010 until June 2011 and is the founder and Chairman of the Tayo Political Party. He became the President of Somalia after winning in the 2017 Somali presidential election with 184 votes out of a total of 329 by members of the Somali Parliament after defeating former president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.