Abdi Farah Shirdon

Abdi Farah Shirdon (Cabdi Faarax Shirdoon; عبدي فارح شردون; born 1958) is a Somali businessman, economist and politician.

Shirdon was born in 1958 in Dusmareeb, Somalia.

He comes from a middle-class background, and belongs to the Marehan Darod clan.

Shirdon is married to Asha Haji Elmi a prominent peace activist and former Member of the Federal Parliament of Somalia.

The couple have four children.

He is also multilingual, speaking Somali, Italian and English.

After finishing high school, Shirdon relocated to Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, to attend college.

He studied at the Somali National University (SNU), where he earned a bachelor's degree in economics, graduating with honours in 1983.

Furthering his education Abdi Farah Shirdoon attended the University of Oxford, where he completed his master's degree in diplomatic studies.

Shirdon briefly worked as an economist in the national Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Agriculture from 1983 to 1985, during the Siad Barre administration.

He subsequently left government to pursue an entrepreneurial career.

He established Shirdon International, serving as the company's CEO.

After the civil war broke out in Somalia in 1991, Shirdon moved to Nairobi, Kenya.

There, he opened up another business, running a prominent import-export firm.

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.

In March 2012, Shirdon was also named Chairman of the Rajo Forum, a Somali civil society institution he co-founded composed of professionals, intellectuals, businesspeople and politicians.

On 6 October 2012, Shirdon was appointed the new Prime Minister of Somalia by incumbent President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

He succeeded Abdiweli Mohamed Ali in office.

A close ally of President Mohamud, Shirdon was reportedly chosen for the position due in part to his academic background.

His selection was greeted with rallies of support in several cities across the country, including his hometown of Dhusamareb and Buuhoodle.

The autonomous Puntland regional administration in northeastern Somalia also welcomed Shirdon's appointment and indicated that it would partner with the central government to uphold the new federal system of governance.

If endorsed, Shirdon pledged that he would name a competent and cohesive Cabinet with no tolerance for corruption.

He also vowed in a statement that he would perform his duties in accordance with the national Constitution.

On 17 October 2012, the Federal Parliament approved Shirdon as Prime Minister by a large majority, with 215 of 275 legislators endorsing his nomination.

UN Special Representative for Somalia Augustine Mahiga welcomed the development, describing it as "further incontrovertible evidence of progress in Somalia".

Mahiga also pledged to collaborate with the new Somali government in the post-conflict reconstruction process.

On 4 November 2012, Shirdon named a new 10 member Cabinet after extensive consultations with local stakeholders.

The council of ministers consists of many newcomers, including two women: Fowsiyo Yussuf Haji Aadan as the nation's first female Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Maryam Kassim as Minister of Social Development.

The new Cabinet was later endorsed by the legislature on 13 November 2012, with 219 MPs approving the selection, 3 voting against it, and 3 abstaining.

In early February 2013, Prime Minister Shirdon launched an Independent Task Force on Human Rights in order to firm up on the protection of individual rights.

The 13-member committee of volunteers was formed after extensive consultations with civil society groups and the Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Osman Jawari.

Chaired by prominent human rights attorney Maryam Yusuf Sheikh Ali, one of four women on the panel, the Task Force includes an educator, a peace activist, leaders of Somali women's organizations, senior police officers, a humanitarian campaigner, a religious leader, and a media representative.

It is tasked with investigating allegations of human rights abuses and journalist intimidation.

At the end of its three-month mandate, the committee is scheduled to publish a report on its findings and recommended courses of action.

The Task Force will eventually give way to a permanent parliamentary Human Rights Commission, which will have the capacity to investigate allegations over a longer period.

In February 2013, Prime Minister Shirdon, along with Minister of Defence Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji-Faqi, Minister of Interior Abdikarim Hussein Guled, and Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jaylaani Nur Ikar, embarked on a Listening Tour of various cities across Somalia to meet with the population, establish public service priorities, and facilitate the creation of local administrations.

Shirdon pledged that the federal government would deliver public services to the regions, contingent with the formation of effective local government and an acceleration of the reconciliation process.

Toward this end, he negotiated an agreement with community leaders in the central Galguduud province to set up a district administration and signed a cooperative security pact with Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a.

On April 18, 2013, the Premier's Office announced in a press release that the Somali Council of Ministers had approved draft legislation on a new counter-terrorism law.