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Maxamed Cismaan JawaariSomali politician
Date of Birth: 07.12.1945
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Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Legal Career and Early Political Roles
- Exile and Return to Somalia
- Speaker of the Federal Parliament
- Reaction to Appointment
- President of Somalia
- Parliamentary Financial Committee
- Southwestern Somalia
- Somali National University
- Somalia-China Cooperation
- Ambassadors Meeting
- Tripartite Cooperation
Early Life and Education
Mohamed Osman Jawari was born in 1945 in Afgooye, Somalia. Originating from the Rahhanweyn clan (Digil and Mirifle), he hailed from the Bay and Bakool regions (now part of Southwestern Somalia). Jawari was proficient in multiple languages, including Somali, Arabic, English, Italian, and Norwegian.
Legal Career and Early Political Roles
After completing high school, Jawari earned a law degree from the Somali National University in Mogadishu. He served as Minister of Transport in the government of former Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre, and later held the post of Minister of Labor and Sports.
Exile and Return to Somalia
Following the outbreak of the Somali Civil War, Jawari fled to Norway and was granted asylum. He later returned to Somalia in the 2000s. Subsequently, Jawari was elected as the chairman of the expert committee tasked with drafting Somalia's constitution. He used his expertise as a legal scholar, working alongside UN officials. The constitution was eventually adopted in July 2012.
Speaker of the Federal Parliament
ElectionIn 2012, Jawari stood for election as the Speaker of the Federal Parliament of Somalia, the first such election in two decades. During a televised parliamentary session held on August 28, 2012, at the Kahie Police Academy near Mogadishu International Airport, Jawari defeated four other candidates for the position, all of whom were former transitional government ministers. Contenders included Abdiabshir Abdullahi, Abdirashid Mohamed Hidig, Hassan Abshir Farah, and Ali Khalif Galaydh, a former Prime Minister of the Transitional National Government. Jawari received 119 votes in the first round of voting. Galaydh came second with 77 votes but later withdrew from the race before the second round, congratulating Jawari, who was then appointed as the new Speaker of the Parliament.
Reaction to Appointment
UN, European Union, and US government officials welcomed Jawari's appointment and urged Somali authorities to proceed with the scheduled presidential election without delay. US Ambassador to Somalia James Swan called the speaker election a "historic election," while UN Special Representative for Somalia Augustine Mahiga stated in a statement that it "is a moment of progress and optimism." Likewise, Alex Rondos, the EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, described Jawari's election as "another positive step forward."
President of Somalia
As Speaker of the Parliament, Jawari also briefly served as Acting President of Somalia while the parliament elected a new leader. On August 30, 2012, the Federal Parliament convened and unanimously approved a new electoral committee mandated with overseeing the presidential election. Chaired by Jawari, the parliamentary session selected 15 MPs to serve on the commission, with former Acting Speaker Ambassador Mohamud Hassan Sheikh Said Abdulle appointed as its chairman. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud subsequently succeeded Jawari as President, having been elected on September 10, 2012, and taking office six days later.
Parliamentary Financial Committee
In February 2014, Finance Minister Hussein Abdi Halane announced the creation of a new Financial Management Committee. Part of the central authorities' efforts to establish a more transparent financial system to attract additional foreign budget assistance, the group would see Somali officials consulting with representatives from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and African Development Bank, with committee members tasked with advising them on financial matters. On March 29, 2014, during a parliamentary session, Speaker Jawari further announced that all Central Bank withdrawals from April 1, 2014, onwards would require written approval from the parliamentary financial committee.
Southwestern Somalia
On June 22, 2014, the federal government brokered an agreement between proponents of the process to form a new autonomous Southwestern Somalia state. The two sides reportedly reached an understanding on the establishment of the future regional state. An event announcing the merger of the two rival administrations into a single three-region state comprising the Bay, Bakool, and Lower Shabelle regions was held at the office of the Speaker of the Federal Parliament, Jawari, on June 23, 2014.
Somali National University
In October 2014, Jawari and Minister of Culture and Higher Education Dualle Adan Mohamed formally launched the first academic year of the Somali National University. Founded in 1974, the institution had closed its doors in 1991 following the collapse of the central government and the outbreak of civil war. The university was subsequently rehabilitated and reopened in 2014 after the federal government's plan was approved by the Council of Ministers. Speaking at the university's inauguration ceremony, Jawari lauded the institution as a pillar of the nation's education system, noting its long history of producing graduates who went on to occupy prominent leadership roles in the country. He also urged the new students to seize the opportunity and called for them to actively participate in post-conflict reconstruction initiatives. Jawari further stressed the federal government's commitment to developing higher education.
Somalia-China Cooperation
In December 2014, Mohamed Osman met with China's Ambassador to Somalia, Wei Hongtian, at Villa Somalia in Mogadishu. According to Jawari, the officials discussed a range of diplomatic issues, including bilateral ties between the two countries and China's support for ongoing reconstruction projects in Somalia. Ambassador Wei, in turn, commended the legislative work of the Federal Parliament. Furthermore, Chinese authorities planned to implement new development initiatives in the country.
Ambassadors Meeting
In March 2015, Jawari met with UN Special Representative for Somalia Nicholas Kay and the ambassadors of Djibouti, Sweden, and Switzerland in Mogadishu. Officials discussed various issues of mutual interest, including bilateral ties and the best approaches for achieving the Vision 2016 political roadmap benchmarks. Additionally, the roles and responsibilities of the Federal Parliament were addressed, with the diplomats urging the legislature to pass any remaining laws that would facilitate the implementation of Vision 2016. They also pledged to continue working with and supporting the central government of Somalia in its recovery and development initiatives.
Tripartite Cooperation
In April 2015, Jawari held a meeting with representatives of the UN and the African Union at his office in Mogadishu. Federal Minister of National Security Abdiqadir Sheikh Dini and Chief of Army General Dahir Adan Elm
