# Presidents of the Somali Region of Ethiopia, 1993 to 2026

> Every holder of the office, with dates and a source on each row: Abdullahi Mohamed Sa'di, Hassan Jire Qalinle, Abdirahman Ugas Mohamed Qani, Ahmed Makahel Hussein, Mahdi Ayoub Guleed, Eid Dahir Farah and others.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/institutions/presidents-of-the-somali-region-of-ethiopia/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## In short

The region's head is formally the chief administrator, but is usually called the president. Two Wikipedia articles carry lists of office-holders, the list article and the article on the region. They agree on dates and differ on two points, shown in the notes. Party names follow the tables: ESDL is the Ethiopian Somali Democratic League and ESPDP the Ethiopian Somali People's Democratic Party. ([Wikipedia, List of chief administrators of the Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_administrators_of_the_Somali_Region), [Wikipedia, Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Region))

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 [Wikipedia, List of chief administrators of the Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_administrators_of_the_Somali_Region), [Wikipedia, Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Region); where sources give different dates, the note says so. How we source: [How we check facts](/en/about/how-we-check-facts/).

## Presidents (chief administrators)

| Name | In office | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abdullahi Mohamed Sa'di (Cabdullaahi Maxamed Saacdi) | 23 January 1993 to November 1993 | first head of the region; the two Wikipedia tables give his party as the ONLF and the ESDL | [Wikipedia, List of chief administrators of the Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_administrators_of_the_Somali_Region), [Wikipedia, Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Region) |
| Hassan Jire Qalinle (Xasan Jire Qalinle) | 1993 to April 1994 | ESDL | [Wikipedia, List of chief administrators of the Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_administrators_of_the_Somali_Region), [Wikipedia, Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Region) |
| Abdirahman Ugas Mohamed Qani (Cabdiraxmaan Ugaas Maxamed Qani) | April 1994 to 1995 | ESDL | [Wikipedia, List of chief administrators of the Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_administrators_of_the_Somali_Region), [Wikipedia, Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Region) |
| Ahmed Makahel Hussein (Axmed Makaahiil Xuseen) | 1995 to June 1995 | ESDL | [Wikipedia, List of chief administrators of the Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_administrators_of_the_Somali_Region), [Wikipedia, Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Region) |
| Mahdi Ayoub Guleed (Mahdi Ayuub Guuleed) | June 1995 to June 1995 | a few weeks; listed in only one of the two Wikipedia tables | [Wikipedia, List of chief administrators of the Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_administrators_of_the_Somali_Region), [Wikipedia, Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Region) |
| Eid Dahir Farah (Ciid Daahir Faarax) | June 1995 to October 1997 | ESDL | [Wikipedia, List of chief administrators of the Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_administrators_of_the_Somali_Region), [Wikipedia, Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Region) |
| Khader Ma'alin Ali (Khadar Macallin Cali) | October 1997 to October 2000 | ESDL, then ESPDP from 1998 | [Wikipedia, List of chief administrators of the Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_administrators_of_the_Somali_Region), [Wikipedia, Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Region) |
| Abdulrashid Dulane (Cabdirashiid Dulane) | October 2000 to 21 July 2003 | ESPDP | [Wikipedia, List of chief administrators of the Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_administrators_of_the_Somali_Region), [Wikipedia, Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Region) |
| Abdi Jibril Ali (Cabdi Jibriil Cali) | 21 July 2003 to October 2005 | ESPDP | [Wikipedia, List of chief administrators of the Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_administrators_of_the_Somali_Region), [Wikipedia, Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Region) |
| Abdullahi Hassan Mohamed "Lugbuur" (Cabdullaahi Xasan Maxamed "Lugbuur") | October 2005 to November 2008 | ESPDP | [Wikipedia, List of chief administrators of the Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_administrators_of_the_Somali_Region), [Wikipedia, Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Region) |
| Daud Mohamed Ali "Daud Axmaar" (Daa'uud Maxamed Cali "Daa'uud Axmar") | November 2008 to 12 July 2010 | ESPDP | [Wikipedia, List of chief administrators of the Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_administrators_of_the_Somali_Region), [Wikipedia, Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Region) |
| Abdi Mohamoud Omar "Abdi Iley" (Cabdi Maxamuud Cumar "Cabdi Iley") | 12 July 2010 to 8 August 2018 | ESPDP | [Wikipedia, List of chief administrators of the Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_administrators_of_the_Somali_Region), [Wikipedia, Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Region) |
| Ahmed Abdi Sheikh Mohamed "Ilkacase" (Axmed Cabdi Sheekh Maxamed "Ilkacase") | 8 August 2018 to 22 August 2018 | 14 days | [Wikipedia, List of chief administrators of the Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_administrators_of_the_Somali_Region), [Wikipedia, Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Region) |
| Mustafe Mohamed Omer "Cagjar" (Mustafe Maxamed Cumar "Cagjar") | 22 August 2018 to now | ESPDP until April 2019, then the Somali Democratic Party, and from November 2019 the Prosperity Party | [Wikipedia, List of chief administrators of the Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_administrators_of_the_Somali_Region), [Wikipedia, Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Region) |

## Related pages

- [Ethiopia and Somalia](/en/relations/ethiopia/)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia, List of chief administrators of the Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_administrators_of_the_Somali_Region)
- [Wikipedia, Somali Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Region)

We also publish every row of every office-holder list as one open data file: [office-holders.csv](/data/institutions/office-holders.csv).

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