# Mohammed Awale Liban (Maxamed Cawaale Liibaan)

> Mohammed Awale Liban: designer of the Somali flag (1954) and head of the civil service.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/people/mohammed-awale-liban/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who was he?

Hagi Mohammed Awale Liban was a Somali scholar noted for designing the flag of Somalia in 1954 ([Wikipedia, Mohammed Awale Liban](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Awale_Liban)). Wikipedia says he was from the Reer Maxamuud of the Majeerteen, mainly based in [Mudug](/en/regions/mudug/), and that his nephew is the anti-qat campaigner Abukar Awale "Qaad-diid" (same source). See [The flag](/en/history/the-flag/).

## Designing the flag

Under the Italian trusteeship, a legislative council of Somalis, Italians, Arabs and Indians was set up in early 1954 to prepare laws; members were chosen by parties and organisations, not elected ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Awale_Liban)). Liban sat for the Somali Labour Trade Union (same source). When the council discussed a national flag, he proposed that only the Somali members should decide it, and the debate was put off to the next day (same source).

That night he designed a blue flag with a white star in the middle, each of its five points standing for one of the five Somali territories divided by the colonial powers ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Awale_Liban)). He presented it the next day, and Wikipedia says the blue stood for the United Nations (same source).

## Public service

He served in every Somali government until 1964 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Awale_Liban)). He was Chief of Cabinet of the Presidency under President [Aden Abdulle Osman](/en/people/aden-abdulle-osman/), and director general of personnel, the head of the civil service, under President [Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke](/en/people/abdirashid-ali-shermarke/) (same source). He retired after the 1969 military coup and emigrated to Canada in 1991 (same source).

## In short

The man who drew the Somali flag overnight in 1954 and later ran the young republic's civil service.

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