National Flag of Somalia
According to aceinland, the national flag of Somalia is a light blue flag with a white star in the center. The light blue color is said to represent the sky and the Somali people’s desire for peace. The white star, which is known as the Star of Unity, is said to represent the unity of all Somali people, regardless of their clan or religion.
The flag was adopted on October 12th, 1954 by the then-independent government of Somalia in order to replace the Italian tricolor which had been used since independence from Italy in 1960. The first independent government also chose to keep the five-pointed star as part of their new national symbol as a sign of hope and peace for all Somalis.
The background color of the flag has changed several times over its history, but it has always been light blue with a white star in the center. In 1972, after military coup d’état that overthrew President Aden Abdullah Osman Daar’s government, an effort was made to create a new national flag that would represent Somalia’s newfound socialism. This resulted in a darker blue background being used instead of light blue with a red star replacing the white one. This design lasted until 1991 when it was replaced by its current design with a light blue background and white star again representing unity among all Somalis regardless of their religion or clan affiliation.
The current national flag is often flown alongside other flags such as those representing various regions within Somalia or other organizations such as political parties or trade unions. It is also frequently seen during large public gatherings and holidays such as Independence Day on July 1st each year when Somalis celebrate their freedom from colonial rule and express their patriotism towards their nation through displays of flags including that of Somalia’s own national banner.
Presidents of Somalia
The President of Somalia is the head of state and the supreme commander of the armed forces. The president is elected by popular vote and is responsible for appointing members of the Cabinet, as well as formulating foreign policy and national security strategy.
The first president of Somalia was Aden Abdullah Osman Daar, who was elected in 1960 at independence from Italy. He served until 1967 when a military coup led by General Mohamed Siad Barre overthrew his government. Siad Barre would remain president until 1991 when he was overthrown in a civil war that saw the formation of a new government led by Ali Mahdi Mohamed.
Ali Mahdi Mohamed remained president for five years before being replaced in 1996 by Abdiqasim Salad Hassan, who had been elected to office with a mandate to bring peace to the nation. Hassan served until 2004 when he was replaced by Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, who had been chosen as part of a peace process between various factions in Somalia. Ahmed served until 2008 when he resigned due to failing health and power struggles between different clans within Somalia.
In 2009, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed became President after winning an election which took place amidst ongoing conflict between various factions within Somalia. He served until 2012 when Hassan Sheikh Mohamud won a presidential election and replaced him as President. Mohamud’s term ended in 2017 after which Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed was elected President during another round of elections held in February 2017.
Since then, President Mohamed has been working towards restoring peace and stability to Somalia through political reform, economic development, and reconciliation with other nations around the world. He has also worked hard to bring unity among all Somalis regardless of their clan or religious affiliation through his policies such as strengthening regional governments within Somalia while maintaining central authority over all issues related to national security and foreign policy.
Prime Ministers of Somalia
Prime Minister of Somalia is the head of government in the Federal Republic of Somalia. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President of Somalia after consultation with Parliament, and is responsible for forming a cabinet and implementing policy. The current Prime Minister is Mohamed Hussein Roble, who has held office since November 2019.
The first Prime Minister of Somalia was Abdirizak Haji Husseen, who held office from 1960 to 1967 under President Aden Abdullah Osman Daar. He was followed by Abdirashid Ali Shermarke, who served from 1967 to 1969 under President Siad Barre. After Shermarke’s untimely death in 1969, Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal took over as Prime Minister until his resignation in 1991 due to the civil war that was raging at the time.
From 1991 to 1997, no formal Prime Minister existed in Somalia due to the ongoing conflict between various clans and factions within the country. In 1997, however, Ali Khalif Galaydh was appointed as Prime Minister by then-President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and held office until 2003 when he resigned due to disagreements with Mohamud’s government.
He was succeeded by Nur Hassan Hussein in 2004 who held office for three years until 2007 when he resigned due to increasing violence in Somalia caused by insurgency groups such as Al-Shabaab. His successor was Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed who held office from 2007 until 2010 when he resigned because of differences with then-President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
In 2011, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali became Prime Minister after winning a parliamentary vote and serving until 2012 when he was replaced by Abdi Farah Shirdon Saaid due to differences between him and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Saaid served until 2014 when he resigned amid allegations of corruption within his government and was replaced by Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke who served until 2017 when he stepped down citing personal reasons.
Most recently, Hassan Ali Khaire assumed office as Prime Minister in June 2017 after being appointed by then-President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed following elections that had taken place earlier that year. He held office until July 2019 before resigning amidst growing political turmoil within Somalia which eventually led to his replacement with current Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble in November 2019.
