Ali Mahdi Mohamed, the first interim president after the collapse of the Siyad Barre regime, and the 4th president since the independence has died in a Nairobi hospital today from COVID-19 complications.
President Ali Mahdi Mohamed, was born in the village of Addow-uul in the Middle Shabelle region in 1938.
President Ali Mahdi went to school in Mogadishu and in 1959 President Ali Mahdi went to Cairo, Egypt, to continue his education.
The late President Ali Mahdi had the opportunity to become a member of the Somali Parliament in 1969, becoming the youngest member of the Somali Parliament.
After the revolution, President Ali Mahdi returned to his post in the Ministry of Health, where he rose to the position of Director General.
In 1977, Ali Mahdi resigned from the government and turned to business.
President Ali Mahdi from 1977-1990 became one of the country’s largest businessmen.
In the 1980s, President Ali Mahdi and Somali scholars founded an organization called “Manifesto” which sent a letter to then-President Mohamed Siad Barre calling for political change in Somalia.
After the collapse of the government of President Mohamed Siad Barre, in 1991, Ali Mahdi was appointed President of Somalia.
Ali Mahdi Mohamed was the fourth president of Somalia from January 26, 1991 to January 3, 1997 and then hold on to that position until 2000.
Shortly afterwards his nomination, a civil war broke out in Mogadishu.
President Ali Mahdi handed over the presidency to Abdiqasim Salad at the Arta conference in Djibouti in 2000.
Ali Mahdi was a key figure in Somali politics and will be remembered for his steadfast belief in Somali unity. He held the torch of nationhood during the very turbulent years the country went through.
