Lists of office-holders
Governors of British Somaliland and the northern coast, 1830 to 1960
Before 1884 Zeila and Berbera were run by local governors and then by Egypt. Britain ran the Somaliland Protectorate through political agents, consuls, commissioners and governors from 1884 to 26 June 1960, except for Italian occupation from August 1940 to March 1941. Sir Douglas Hall was the last governor.
In short
Zeila was under Ottoman rule from 1548 and under the Sharifs of Mecca from 1630. From 1830 local hereditary governors ran it. Egypt occupied Berbera and Zeila in 1870 and left in October 1884. Britain signed treaties with Somali clans from 1884 and proclaimed the protectorate on 20 July 1887. Italy occupied it from 19 August 1940 to 16 March 1941. It became independent as the State of Somaliland on 26 June 1960 and joined Somalia on 1 July 1960. (World Statesmen, Somalia, Wikipedia, List of colonial governors of British Somaliland)
Each row below gives the holder's name in English and Somali spelling, dates in office and the source for that row. Dates are from World Statesmen, Somalia, Wikipedia, List of colonial governors of British Somaliland; where sources give different dates, the note says so. How we source: How we check facts.
Governors of Zeila and Berbera, 1830 to 1884
| Name | In office | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sayyid Muhammad al-Barr | 1830 to 1841 | World Statesmen, Somalia | |
| Haji Sharmarke Ali Salih (Xaaji Sharmaarke Cali Saalax) | 1841 to 1855 | first time | World Statesmen, Somalia |
| Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad | 1855 to 1857 | first time | World Statesmen, Somalia |
| Haji Sharmarke Ali Salih (Xaaji Sharmaarke Cali Saalax) | 1857 to 1861 | second time | World Statesmen, Somalia |
| Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad | 1861 to 1874 | second time | World Statesmen, Somalia |
| Ahmad Rashid Husni Pasha | 1869 to 1870 | Egyptian commander | World Statesmen, Somalia |
| Abdirahman Bey | 1870 to 1874 | Egyptian governor | World Statesmen, Somalia |
| Muhammad Ra'uf Pasha | 1874 to 1878 | Egyptian governor | World Statesmen, Somalia |
| Radwan Pasha | 1878 to 1880 | Egyptian governor | World Statesmen, Somalia |
| Muhammad Nadi Pasha | 1880 to December 1882 | Egyptian governor | World Statesmen, Somalia |
| Rida Pasha | December 1882 to 1884 | Egyptian governor | World Statesmen, Somalia |
| Firhad Bey Muhhib | 1883 to 1883 | Governor of Berbera under Harar | World Statesmen, Somalia |
| Abdul Rahman Bey Fa'iz | 1883 to 1884 | Governor of Berbera under Harar | World Statesmen, Somalia |
British political agents, consuls and commissioners, 1884 to 1919
Governors, 1919 to 1940
| Name | In office | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geoffrey Francis Archer | 23 October 1919 to 17 August 1922 | World Statesmen, Somalia, Wikipedia, List of colonial governors of British Somaliland | |
| Gerald Henry Summers | 6 September 1922 to 29 November 1925 | World Statesmen, Somalia, Wikipedia, List of colonial governors of British Somaliland | |
| Harold Baxter Kittermaster | 29 November 1925 to 18 June 1932 | World Statesmen, Somalia, Wikipedia, List of colonial governors of British Somaliland | |
| Arthur Salisbury Lawrance | 21 June 1932 to 2 March 1939 | Commissioner, then Governor from 10 May 1935 | World Statesmen, Somalia, Wikipedia, List of colonial governors of British Somaliland |
| Vincent Goncalves Glenday | 2 March 1939 to 18 August 1940 | World Statesmen, Somalia, Wikipedia, List of colonial governors of British Somaliland |
Italian occupation, 1940 to 1941
| Name | In office | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guglielmo Nasi | 19 August 1940 to 27 August 1940 | military governor | World Statesmen, Somalia, Wikipedia, List of colonial governors of British Somaliland |
| Carlo De Simone | 27 August 1940 to 16 March 1941 | military governor | World Statesmen, Somalia, Wikipedia, List of colonial governors of British Somaliland |
British military governors and governors, 1941 to 1960
Related pages
Sources
We also publish every row of every office-holder list as one open data file: office-holders.csv.
Sources
- World Statesmen, Somalia · worldstatesmen.org
- Wikipedia, List of colonial governors of British Somaliland · en.wikipedia.org
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- Ministers of Defence of Somalia, 1960 to 2026Every holder of the office, with dates and a source on each row: Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal, Ali Ismail Yacqub, Hilowle Moalin Mohamed, Aden Isaq Ahmed, Abdirahman Haji Mumin, Haji Yusuf Iman Guled and others.
- Foreign Ministers of Somalia, 1960 to 2026Every holder of the office, with dates and a source on each row: Abdullahi Issa Mohamud, Ahmed Yusuf Dualeh, Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal, Haji Farah Ali Omar, Omar Arteh Ghalib, Mohamed Siad Barre and others.
- Foreign Ministers of Somaliland, 1991 to 2026Every holder of the office, with dates and a source on each row: Sheikh Yusuf Ali Sheikh Madar, Osman Abdillahi Jama, Hassan Ali Awaleh, Suleiman Mahmud Adan, Mahmoud Salah Nur, Abdihamid Garad Jama and others.