# Yusuf Garaad Omar (Yuusuf Garaad Cumar)

> Yusuf Garaad Omar (born 1960): head of the BBC Somali Service, ambassador to the United Nations, and Foreign Minister 2017 to 2018.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/people/yusuf-garaad-omar/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who is he?

Yusuf Garaad Omar spent twenty years as a broadcaster with the [BBC Somali Service](/en/society/bbc-somali/) before moving into government. He was Somalia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and then Minister of Foreign Affairs from March 2017 to January 2018 ([Wikipedia, Yusuf Garaad Omar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yusuf_Garaad_Omar)).

## Early life and education

He was born on 26 June 1960 in the Xamar Jajab district of Mogadishu and went to secondary school in the capital (Wikipedia). He studied French at the Somali National University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in linguistics. In 1990 he moved to Italy to study anthropology at the University of Siena. He later took the Global Master of Arts Program at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, in the United States (same source). He speaks Somali, Italian, French and English (same source).

## Journalist, 1984 to 2012

He was a correspondent for Radio Mogadishu from 1984 until the civil war began in 1991. He then worked as a freelance reporter in Italy. He joined the BBC Somali Service in 1992 and became head of the service eight years later (Wikipedia). In 2012 he left the BBC to stand as a candidate in that year's presidential election (same source).

## Adviser and ambassador, 2013 to 2017

From 2013 he was a senior adviser to President [Hassan Sheikh Mohamud](/en/people/hassan-sheikh-mohamud/). His work included the talks between the federal government and [Somaliland](/en/states/somaliland-1991-to-2026/) (Wikipedia). In November 2016 he presented his credentials to the United Nations as Somalia's Permanent Representative ([United Nations, 11 November 2016](https://www.un.org/press/en/2016/bio4899.doc.htm)).

## Foreign Minister, 2017 to 2018

Prime Minister [Hassan Ali Khaire](/en/people/hassan-ali-khaire/) named him Minister of Foreign Affairs on 21 March 2017. He succeeded [Abdisalam Omer Hadliye](/en/people/abdisalam-omer-hadliye/) and was sworn in on 29 March 2017 (Wikipedia). On 4 January 2018 the Prime Minister removed him and two other ministers from the cabinet ([Reuters, 4 January 2018](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-government-idUSKBN1ET0JR)). [Ahmed Isse Awad](/en/people/ahmed-isse-awad/) succeeded him ([Rulers.org, Foreign ministers S to Z](https://rulers.org/fm4.html)).

## Offices held

- Head of the BBC Somali Service, from about 2000
- Senior adviser to the President of Somalia, from 2013
- Permanent Representative of Somalia to the United Nations, 2016 to 2017
- Minister of Foreign Affairs, 29 March 2017 to 4 January 2018. See [Foreign Ministers of Somalia](/en/institutions/foreign-ministers-of-somalia/).

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