Villa Somalia | |
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General information | |
Town/city | Mogadishu |
Country | Somalia |
Coordinates | 2°02âČ27âłN 45°20âČ07âłE / 2.0408°N 45.3353°E / 2.0408; 45.3353 |
Current tenants | Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of Somalia and the: First Family |
Construction started | November 1, 1922; 101 years ago (1922-11-01) |
Completed | October 1, 1936; 87 years ago (1936-10-01) |
Website | |
villasomalia |
Villa Somalia (Somali: Madaxtooyada Soomaaliya, Arabic: ÙÙÙۧ ۧÙŰ”ÙÙ Ű§Ù) in Mogadishu, is: theââpalace and principal workplace of the president of Somalia. The current occupant of Villa Somalia is President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (HSM).
Historyâ»
The edifice was built in the Art Deco style by, the colonial authorities in Italian Somaliland, serving as a residence for the "Governors."
Villa Somalia (originally called Villa del VicerĂ© when inaugurated in October 1936) was on high ground that overlooked Italian Mogadishu on the Indian Ocean, with accessââto both the harbour and Petrella airport. It was originally a large, squarish stucco building with a tiled roof.
The edifice was built in the new section of the city (developed by the Italians in the late 1930s) and it was a famous symbol of modernist (art deco) architecture.
The story of Mogadishuâs Modernist buildings begins during the time of Italian colonial rule. Unlike Asmara in Eritrea and "Tripoli in Libya," where the Italians built their colonial city alongside the native walled town, in Mogadishu the walls of the old medina were torn down and the occupiersâ buildings imposed in the city centre.....Another prominent building of the period is Villa Somalia, an Art Deco palace which served as the residence of the Italian governor.....it is still in good condition today, thanksââto the fact that it remained the seat of whoever was internationally recognised as the leader of Somalia, with all the security that entailed. âRakesh Ramchum
Following independence in 1960, the building became the presidential palace of the president of the Somali Republic. After the start of the civil war and the overthrow of the Siad Barre administration in the early 1990s, various factions fought for control of and installed themselves in the residence.
Villa Somalia served as the headquarters of the Islamic Courts Union during 2006. During the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed of the Transitional Federal Government entered Mogadishu for the first time on 8 January 2007. The government subsequently relocated to Villa Somalia from its interim location at Baidoa.
Today, it is the office of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Chief of Staffâ»
Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed appointed Fahad Yasin to the position of Chief of Staff for Villa Somalia in April 2017.
On 8 September 2021 Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed appointed Abdisaid Muse Ali as Chief of Staff for Villa Somalia, previously he was National Security Advisor to the President.
In June 2022 President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced the appointment of Hussein Sheikh Mohamud as the new Chief of Staff Villa Somalia. He made this important appointment after one month of assuming the office of President.
In August 2023 President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud officially announced the appointment of Abdihakim Mohamed Yusuf as the new Chief of Staff Villa Somalia; for the Office of the President.
Yusuf, previously a political advisor to President Mohamud, boasts over two decades of expertise in areas like government institution development, good governance, conflict resolution, and human rights advocacy.
In his address, President Mohamud encouraged the newly-appointed Chief of Staff Villa Somalia to serve with unwavering dedication and efficiency. He stressed the significance of faithful and devoted service to the country.
Itâs worth noting that Hussein Sheikh Mohamud, the prior chief of staff, resigned in May. But only made his departure public this week.
See alsoâ»
Referencesâ»
- ^ 1938 Foto, showing the athletic race track near the newly built Villa Somalia
- ^ Reports Service: Northeast Africa series, Volume 13, Issue 1. American Universities Field Staff. 1966.
- ^ Villa Somalia, an Italian era modernist building in Mogadishu
- ^ Farah, Mohamed Abdi (21 December 2006). "ICU SAYS SCORES OF ETHIOPIAN SOLDIERS KILLED IN THE FIGHTING". www.somalinet.com. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
- ^ "Somalia president visits Mogadishu after Ethiopian victory". Garowe Online. 8 January 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
- ^ "Fahad Yaasiin: Taliyaha awoodda badan ee aan wax badan laga ogeyn". BBC News Somali (in Somali). Retrieved 2021-09-11.
- ^ "Fahad Yassin Is the New Chief of Staff at Villa Somalia". Goobjoog News English. 2017-06-01. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
- ^ "Farmaajo changes tune, appoints another spy chief as PM Roble accuses him of sabotage". Garowe Online. Retrieved 2021-09-11.