28 Notable alumni of Somali National University
Updated: May 06, 2026 EliteDegrees
Somali National University is ranked #6,961 in the world and #1 in Somalia by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 28 notable alumni from Somali National University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Somali National University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Saleban Essa Ahmed
politician
Saleban Essa Ahmed "Haglotosiye", is a prominent Somali politician who was the leader of the SSC Movement and served as Somaliland's Minister of Health.
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2. Barkhad Ali Salah
1932-2016 (aged 84)
politician
Barkhad Ali Salah was a veteran Somali politician and historian. He served as the first mayor of Bosaso.
3. Ali Mohamed Ahmed
1965-. (aged 61)
politician
Ali Moalim Mohamed is a businessman and politician from Somalia.
4. Eng Mohamed Isse Lacle
1956-. (aged 70)
politician
Eng. Mohamed Isse Ali, also known as Col. Mohamed Isse Ganaje, is a Somali engineer, Navy commander, and politician. Lacle has extensive experience in naval warfare, electricity and mechanics, politics and diplomacy. He has taught subjects in naval warfare and engineering in the Technical Maritime Intermediate School of the National Somali Navy and served as director from 1981 to 1982....
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5. Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed
1958-. (aged 68)
diplomat
economist
politician
Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed, also known as Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Mohammad, is a Somali economist and politician. He has held leadership positions with various international organizations, including the World Bank, USAID, African Union/IBAR, the European Union, the Bank of Canada, COMESA, and the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah.
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6. Abdi Farah Shirdon
1958-. (aged 68)
economist
businessperson
politician
Abdi Farah Shirdon is a Somali businessman, economist and politician. He served as the prime minister of Somalia between October 2012 and December 2013. Shirdon is credited with having overseen significant development in social services and the national budget, as well as improving local security.
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7. Hassan Abshir Farah
1945-2020 (aged 75)
politician
Hassan Abshir Farah was a Somali politician. He previously served as mayor of Mogadishu and interior minister of Puntland. From November 12, 2001, to November 8, 2003, he was also prime minister of Somalia. Farah was an MP in the Federal Parliament of Somalia.
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8. Yusuf Garaad Omar
1960-. (aged 66)
journalist
Yusuf Garaad Omar is a Somali journalist, diplomat and politician. He previously served as Somalia ambassador to the United Nations and was a senior advisor to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. He was the Somali Minister of Foreign Affairs from March 2017 until he was fired by then Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire in January 2018.
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9. Asha Haji Elmi
1962-. (aged 64)
peace activist
politician
Asha Haji Elmi is a Somali politician and peace activist. As of August 2012, she is a former member of the Federal Parliament of Somalia.
10. Ahmed Kariye
1968-. (aged 58)
economist
businessperson
politician
Ahmed Abdi Karie, nicknamed "Qoor Qoor", is a Somali politician who serves as the current President of Galmudug state. He assumed office on 2 February 2020.
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11. Gaarriye
1952-2012 (aged 60)
poet
activist
Mohamed Hashi Dhamac better known as Gaarriye, was a Somali poet and political activist.
12. Ahmed Duale Gelle
1949-. (aged 77)
economist
businessperson
politician
Ahmed Duale Gelle was the 5th president of Galmudug State of Somalia, in office from 3 May 2017 to 2 February 2020. Before he became Galmudug’s president he was a businessman and former federal parliament member.
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13. Hussein Samatar
1968-2013 (aged 45)
politician
Hussein Samatar was a Somali American politician, banker and community organizer. He established the African Development Center in 2004, which provided microloans and technical expertise to recent immigrant businesses.
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14. Jama Musse Jama
1967-. (aged 59)
writer
mathematician
Jama Musse Jama is a prominent Somali ethnomathematician and author. He is notable for his research on traditional Somali boardgames such as Shax.
15. Ahmed Mumin Warfa
botanical collector
scientific collector
botanist
university teacher
Ahmed Mumin Warfa was a Somali scientist specializing in botany, who with his colleague Mats Thulin discovered the species Cyclamen somalense. He served as president (rector) of the Zamzam University of Science and Technology from 2020 until his death.
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16. Abdullahi Ahmed Jama
1951-. (aged 75)
civil servant
General Abdullahi Ahmed Jama Ilkajiir is a Somali politician, who was Puntland's Interior Minister from 17 January 2009 to 5 February 2014. He is the former Minister of Education of Somalia, having been appointed to the position on 12 January 2015 by the former Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke. However, he only served 2 weeks when on 17 January...
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17. Mohamed Sirad Dolal
1955-2009 (aged 54)
academic
political activist
Dr. Mohamed Sirad Dolal was an academic and a member of the central committee and executive council of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), a liberation movement in Ogaden determined to free its homeland from Ethiopia.
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18. Ali Said Hassan
1950-. (aged 76)
journalist
Ali Said Hassan is a Somali film producer, director, former photojournalist and archive collector.
19. Asha Gelle Dirie
1966-. (aged 60)
politician
Asha Gelle Dirie is a Somali politician and civil society activist. From 2005 to 2012, she served as the Ministry of Women Development and Family Affairs of the Government of Puntland. Dirie is also the founder and Executive Director of The Asha Gelle Foundation (TAG Foundation). Also she served as the Chairperson of the federal Constitutional Review and Implementation Commission...
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20. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
1955-. (aged 71)
engineer
academic administrator
teacher
politician
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is a Somali politician serving as the president of Somalia since 15 May 2022. He previously held the office from 2012 to 2017.
21. Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed
1934-2012 (aged 78)
politician
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, was a Somali politician and former military official who served as the first President of Puntland from 1998 to 2004. He also played a key role in establishing the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), which he led as President of Somalia from 2004 to 2008. Additionally, he was one of the founders of the rebel Somali Salvation Democratic...
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22. Mohamed Osman Jawari
1945-2024 (aged 79)
politician
minister
Mohamed Osman Jawari, also known as Mohamed Jawari or Osman Jawari, was a Somali attorney and politician. He was Speaker of the Federal Parliament of Somalia from 2012 to 2018. He also briefly served as acting President of Somalia from August to September 2012.
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23. Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke
1960-. (aged 66)
politician
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, popularly known as Omar Sharmarke, is a Somali diplomat and politician. From 2009 to 2010, he was the Prime Minister of Somalia. He subsequently briefly served as Somalia's Ambassador to the United States in 2014. In December 2014, Sharmarke was reappointed Prime Minister of Somalia. His term ended on 1 March 2017, and he was replaced...
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24. Nur Hassan Hussein
1938-2020 (aged 82)
diplomat
politician
Nur Hassan Hussein, popularly known as Nur Adde, was a Somali politician, who served as Prime Minister of Somalia from November 2007 to February 2009. He was from Mogadishu and part of the Abgaal sub-clan of the Hawiye.
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25. Hadrawi
1943-2022 (aged 79)
poet
Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame, known by the pseudonym Hadrawi, was a Somali poet, philosopher and songwriter. Having written many notable protest works, Hadrawi has been likened by some to Shakespeare, and his poetry has been translated into various languages. He is the older brother of Hurre Walanwal, another Somali poet and songwriter.
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26. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali
1965-. (aged 61)
economist
writer
politician
Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas, also more known as Abdiweli Gaas, is a Somali American economist and politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Somalia from June 2011 to October 2012, and briefly afterwards as an MP in the newly formed Federal Parliament. During his time as premier, Ali is credited with having devised the formal "Roadmap for the End...
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27. Hawa Abdi
1947-2020 (aged 73)
human rights defender
jurist
lawyer
gynecologist
humanitarian
Hawa Abdi Dhiblawe was a Somali human rights activist and physician. She was the founder and chairperson of the Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation (DHAF), a non-profit organization.
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28. Abdirahman Farole
1945-. (aged 81)
politician
Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamoud Farole is a Somali politician. He served for many years in the government, acting as a governor of the Nugal region of Somalia in the 1990s and later as the Minister of Finance of the autonomous Puntland region in the northeast. From 8 January 2009 to 8 January 2014, Farole was also the President of Puntland. Farole's...
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