Historical back ground of President Ahmed Mohamoud Mohamed

While I was gazing a few of the historical documentaries related Somaliland from the U-tube, I was landed to a situation of watching the life story of President Ahmed Mohamoud Mohamed Commented by his current spokesman, Mr. Duxol on July 15, 2009 in a political campaign occasion for Kulmiye party, which was at the time stitch opposition against the former administration, that lost the ballot vote in July 2010.

The circumstances accounted has inspired and encouraged me of writing the continents of this documentary into in English with regards the chronological events of the textual to be learned by many, who may have not an opportunity in the past.
To begin with, as informed in that documentary, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud was born in the town of Burao in 1938, which on those days falling under Ex British Somali-land protectorate from1884 until June 1960, followed by union with greater Somalia in June 26, 1960, in which May 18, 1991 had resulted by invaliding and reversing the old pronouncement of the unification of greater Somalia after a decade of combat war with the oppressive regime of Mohamed Siyad Bare, who was bring down from power in January 1991. Ahmed has five children, 3 boys and two girls.

He completed his three stages of schooling for the townships of Sheikh and Amoud. On his secondary education, he attended the schools in the towns of Sheikh and Amoud in ex- northern Somalia, which, after he passed the advanced level of GCE examination was granted scholarship by the British administration to United kingdom to pursue for his higher studies and from there he, joined the University of Manchester, earned an Honors Bachelor’s Degree in the field of Economics, whereby he continued his higher studies until he obtained his Master’s Degree in Economics field from the same University of Manchester in late 1965.

Subsequent of completing his university studies from UK, he joined with the ministry of Planning and Coordination in Somalia, as a capacity of Director, wherein, he was promoted to General Director at ministerial level after a short while in view of his contribution with the ministry during his services with the ministry, which brought consecutive gains. This position as General Director, he remained until 1969.

When the military seized power from the civilian government in 1969, Ahmed was one of the Intellectuals nominated by the Somali revolutionary council (SRC) to outline a comprehensive economical and political plans to develop the country from economical crisis, which in these days effected by the entire Somali population regardless of any part in view of alarming circumstances inflected by the corrupt civilian administration.
Considering his qualification, experience and the leadership skills, Ahmed was nominated as a minister and, instantaneously, upon his appointment as a planning minister (1969 – 1973) , he gave a priority to rapid economic and social development issues by initiating a famous plan known as “crash programs,” efficient and responsive government strategy, which end resulted on national economy improvement and steps forward accredited by the inclusive Somali public and also by the international community at large. In addition to his portfolio as the minister of Planning he also took an active role for the inauguration of written form of Somali language as the country’s single official tongue.

Apart of the information explained in the above, Ahmed was the master brain for the projects executed in the northern regions of Somalia in addition of the other developments carried out in southern Somalia. Among the projects noticed and said in that documentary are the road between Burao and Berbera; Berbera port development and expansion; Berbera cement factory; Tagwajaale Agriculture Project, which was financed by the World Bank plus many other enterprises in the Northern Regions of ex- Somalia.

When the issue of Berbera cement factory was raised and discussed in weekly ministerial meetings, some regime officials had suggested that the proposed cement factory to be built in Mogadishu and the raw material transported from rich cement mountains at Berber, claiming that the biggest consumers for the cement are in Mogadishu, the capital City, which they literally meant in the south.

However, as a planning minister, he strongly put in plain words to the attendees of the ministerial meeting, that such proposal is not cost effective in terms of economical factors, which subsequently obtained an overall endorsement on his submission by the opponents of his proposal. As well-known by many, Ahmed had never surrendered on his vision despite the political pressure pop in to him by the system officials.

Furthermore, He was one of the prominent cabinet ministers responsible for day-to-day government operations of the country. Being one the most central cabinet ministries, his programmes on national developments issues and good governed polices had brought about his popularity and reputation among the Somalia public.

In the period of 1973 and until 1978, he served as the minster of commerce, which he also resourcefully contributed adjoin successive developments recognized by the entire Somalia public. Afterwards from the period of 1980 and until 1982, he was the chairman of national economy, which was involving financial coordination with the various miniseries. However, in the late seventies, Ahmed has experienced repressive techniques employed by the regime to the Somali general public and in particular those originated from the northern regions.

Consequently, as a result of oppressive and hardships treated by the regime to the Somali public, he together with other few prominent ministers originated also from the northern regions of Somalia had established secret contacts with some of the reliance higher military officials and influenced them joining SNM, which was earlier announced in 1981 from London in view of the political harsh conditions inserted by the regime to the people in northern regions of Somalia, as that reversed his way of thinking.

Enthusiastically, these military officials contacted had made their own preparations fleeing from country and setting off to eastern parts of Ethiopia inhabited by the Somalis to carry out battle with the regime in the view of the above hard times encountered by the Somali people, particularly the northern regions.

Therefore, as he cannot wait inactive for the anguish of the Somali people, he took flight to UK in an effort of refreshing the liberation struggle against the oppressive regime from abroad. During his presences in UK, he travelled to many influential countries in the world populated by Somalis to boost the diplomatic relationship between Somali National Movement (SNM) and these visited countries, which accordingly gained the understanding for the legitimate cause and the problems of the Somalia people, and in particular those originated from northern regions.

Following, achieved consecutive diplomatic triumph, he set off to Ethiopia to pursue and continue the liberation struggle from inter-land, which after a little while; he was appointed as the chairman of (SNM). For the duration of his chairmanship of the liberation struggle, the manifestation of SNM had gained flourishing popularity and thriving military victories.

In the year 1990, he transferred the chairmanship of SNM to Abdi-rahman Mohamed Ali in brotherly manner, which had end resulted the end closing stage of the regime in nine months later after a decade of combat war with the regime (January 1991). Thereafter, the second independences were declared in Somaliland in May 18, 1991 in Burao following liberating the country from the regime. Ever since from the independences of Somaliland, he served on a various positions, which are the following:

In the period from 1993 and until 19997, he was member for the house of the parliament. From the same year 1997, he was appointed as the minister of finance in view of his background in economy fields, which he initiated and executed programs of fiscal reforms for the national economy, which generated on the stability of the national currency. In the period of 1999 and until 2000, he served as a minister of Planning and Coordination, a position from which he resigned in 2001. A little while later, he formed an opposition party known as, (Kulmiye, solidarity party) together with some prominent personalities in Somaliland.

In July 2010 election, he contested with President Daahir Riyaale of UDUB (the existed government party) and Faysal A. Warabe of the other opposition UCID party , which he obtained almost 50 % of the casted votes, whereas, the other two parties combinable acquired just 50% of the total votes. That is where he was standing until July 26, 2010. As of July 27, 2013 his administration has completed three years in office which, undisputedly attained them consecutive achievements in various domains and sectors disclosed and noticed by the totality of the Somali-land population. His maximum control over his cabinet as well as the country is most crucial and sensitive at this time

In conclusion, it is true, clear and comprehensible that most Somali-landers share with me that visualization reported above. However, these remaining two years of his term as a president are the most challenging of his time and if things go wrong could override all his achievements in the past that I stated above and as a matter of fact, the presidents’ maximum control over his cabinet as well as the country , in general, is most crucial and sensitive at this stage of his office term.

Therefore, in the event of the President either leaving with memorable achievements at the end of his term in 2015 or being elected to another term as President depends on how his government should combine with the three effective principles that the Honorable Ahmed M. M Silanyo has been renowned and sustained with in the past, which are/were solid vision + efficient effort + factual sincerity.

Ismail Lugweyne