Ali Mohammed Ghedi (Cali Maxamed Geeddi)

Who is he?

Ali Mohammed Ghedi was the first Prime Minister of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), formed in 2004. World Statesmen dates his term from 23 December 2004 to 30 October 2007 (World Statesmen, Somalia). Wikipedia dates his appointment to November 2004 (Wikipedia, Ali Mohammed Ghedi). Over those three years his government moved from exile in Nairobi to Jowhar, then Baidoa, and finally Mogadishu (same source).

Early life and academic career

He was born in Mogadishu on 2 October 1952 (Wikipedia). He studied at the University of Pisa in Italy and graduated in 1978. He then worked as an assistant lecturer at the Somali National University. From 1980 to 1983 he returned to Pisa for postgraduate study and earned a doctorate in veterinary pathology and surgery. From 1983 he taught at the Somali National University and headed his department until 1990 (same source).

Civil war years

When the civil war began, he worked with Ali Mahdi Muhammad's wing of the United Somali Congress. Wikipedia records that he served as Ali Mahdi's assistant defence secretary in the early 1990s (Wikipedia). He was not widely known in national politics before 2004 (same source).

Prime Minister, 2004 to 2007

President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed named Ghedi as Prime Minister (Wikipedia). On 11 December 2004 parliament passed a vote of no confidence in his first government. Yusuf reappointed him two days later (same source).

The government stayed in Nairobi until 18 June 2005 (World Statesmen). Inside Somalia it first sat in Jowhar. In 2005 the government split over where to sit, and about 100 MPs led by Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden went to Mogadishu (Wikipedia). From 26 February 2006 the government sat in Baidoa (World Statesmen).

In 2006 fighting in Mogadishu between the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism and the Islamic Courts Union grew. Ghedi called on the alliance's leaders, four of whom were ministers, to stop, and then dismissed them (Wikipedia). In December 2006 Ethiopian and government troops entered Mogadishu. The government moved there on 28 December 2006 (World Statesmen). On 1 January 2007 Ghedi declared three months of martial law and called for militias to disarm (Wikipedia).

He resigned on 29 October 2007, according to Wikipedia; World Statesmen dates the end of his term to 30 October. Salim Aliyow Ibrow then served as acting Prime Minister until Nur Hassan Hussein took office on 24 November 2007 (World Statesmen).

Offices held

• Lecturer and head of department, Somali National University, 1983 to 1990
• Prime Minister of the Transitional Federal Government, 23 December 2004 to 30 October 2007. See Prime Ministers of Somalia.