Mohamed Abdi Mohamed


Mohamed Abdi Mohamed is a Somali geologist, anthropologist, historian and politician. He is the former Minister of Defense of Somalia, and the former President of Azania. In July 2014, Gandhi was appointed as Somalia's Ambassador to Canada.

Biography

Professor Mohamed Abdi Xaji-Mohamed, nicknamed "Gandhi", is from Somalia. From childhood, Mohamed was a great student and managed to memorize the Koran at an early age. He excelled in his elementary schooling as well. He was accepted to the most prestigious high school at the time, Jamal Abdelnazer High School in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, where he graduated as an honor student in the class of 1970. He was one of the top students in his high school and the entire country for that year and was awarded a full a scholarship to go to France for higher education. He arrived in France in October 1972 to attend Besançon University. There he majored in geology and graduated with a B.A. in September 1976. Then he continued on to acquire his Master of Science in Geology in 1979. He obtained his PhD in applied geology in June 1983. The title of his thesis was "Study of Geology and Hydrogeology of the Central Somalia Basin ". After graduation, Gandhi started lecturing at the same university.
He continued to pursue another major and received his second Ph.D in 1990. Through that decade the professor continued lecturing at the University of Besançon, France.
Prof Gandhi also received his Certificate in Anthropology of Space, around March 1992, at the University of New Lisbon, under the Erasmus exchange. In addition to that he received a Higher Degree by Research from Besançon University in Besançon, France. Prof Gandhi was awarded an International Baccalaureate Diploma from the French Academy.
He also served as a senior program advisor of UNDP Somalia in Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration.
An active participant in the Somali peace process, Gandhi was a Lead Consultant in Mapping the Somali Civil Society. He also chaired the Technical Committee at the Arta Somali Peace process that took place in Arta, Djibouti, as well as being a member of the Somali Civil Society at the Somali Peace and Reconciliation Conference that was held in Kenya.
Mohamed Cabdi Mohamed is an accomplished author; he has published 12 books in addition to more than 50 scientific articles in various academic journals. He has also edited three studies.
Professor Mohamed Abdi Mohamed was recently elected the President of Azania States in 2011. Professor Gandhi previously served as a Defense Secretary and Minister of Air and Transportation in the Somali Transitional Federal Government. He is a Member of Parliament of the TFG.

Professional activities

During his studies in France, Prof Gandhi returned every year in Somalia to teach and support as a Professor in the Departments of History and Geology at the University of Mogadishu. Since 1987
Professor was consultant to the National Museum of Somalia which he had set the task of identifying and classifying ancient manuscripts to build a directory of literary and objects of art.
Prof Gandhi is the Co-founding member of the Association Somali Peace Line, Paris, 1996.
Prof Gandhi worked as a Consultant to "Doctors Without Borders" from Switzerland, Spain and other international organizations between Jan 2006-Feb 2007 where they build schools and training center for nurses and he built clinic in Kulbiyoow, Lower Jubba and surrounding area where his beloved mother was born. In addition, the professor Gandhi built a mosque and education center for midwife nurse clinic in memory of his beloved mother.
Professor Gandhi worked as Consultant Expert to UNESCO between 1995 and 1998, where he wrote many books and articles, including:
Professor Gandhi is an Associate Member of the Institute of Science and Techniques of the Ancient World, CNRS, ESA 6048, he is still a supervisor of research.
Prof Gandhi worked as Research Officer 1st Class, March 1999-February 2001 IRD: at the Institute of Development Research
Gandhi was the Technical Committee Chairman for the Conference for Peace held at Arta in Djibouti, from March to September 2000.
Senior Program Adviser, SCPP, UNDP, 2002.
Administrative activities: Creation of "Somali Studies" in France and Europe edition of collected works.
Co-founding member of the French Association of Somali Studies and the European Association of Somali Studies. To bring together researchers "Somaliazation" Europe, these associations have organized several seminars and cultural events. Professor Gandhi was responsible for preparing the following events:
First conference of Somali Studies, Paris, IMA, 11–13 July 1988 in collaboration with Mrs. Danièle Kintz and Mr. Osman Omar Rabah;
Second Conference of Somali Studies, Besançon, 8–11 October 1990 and accompanying exhibitions ;
Forum: "The civil war in Somalia: When and How? Why?", Paris, IMA, 7–8 April 1992;
Forum: "Peace and Reconciliation in Somalia", Paris, IMA, 15–17 April 1993;
Congress of Somali Studies on the theme "For a Culture of Peace in Somalia", Paris, 25–27 October 1995.
During his time as a Defense minister, Professor Gandhi organized and held meeting in Washington DC that he aimed to bring together former high-ranking officers from the military, police, custodial and intelligence services for in-depth discussions on both the historical background of the Somali security forces, and on the re-establishment and the strengthening of the capacity of the security sector institutions in Somalia. He proposed 36 thousand strong army led by former Somali senior military to revive the Somali nationhood.

Political career

Minister of Defense

On February 21, 2009, Gandhi was appointed Somalia's Minister of Defense by the nation's then head of government, Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke. He held the position until November 10, 2010.

President of Azania

On April 3, 2011, the establishment of a new autonomous region in southern Somalia was announced. Referred to as Azania, the nascent polity is led by Gandhi, who is serving as its first President. According to President Gandhi, Azania was selected as the name for the new administration because of its historical importance, as "Azania was a name given to Somalia more than 2,500 years ago and it was given by Egyptian sailors who used to get a lot of food reserves from the Somali Coast Its origin is Arabic word meaning the land of plenty."
Gandhi's first stated policy initiative was to remove the Al Shabaab group of militants from the territory.
Gandhi held position of President of Jubaland until May 15, 2013, when Ahmed Mohamed Islam was elected to the office.

Ambassador of Somalia to Canada

In July 2014, Gandhi was appointed Somalia's new Ambassador to Canada. The first such envoy in over two decades, he will head the Somali federal government's reopened embassy in Ottawa, Ontario.