Adan Madoobe Becomes Third President of South West State

GOOBJOOG NEWS|BAIDOA: Sheikh Aadan Mohamed Nur, widely known as Aadan Madoobe, was on Wednesday elected as the new President of Somalia’s South West State following a closely watched vote held in Baydhabo.

The election took place at the South West State Parliament, where lawmakers voted to choose the leader who will steer the regional administration for the next five years. Aadan Madoobe secured victory, marking a significant political development in one of Somalia’s key federal member states.

His election comes while he is serving as Speaker of the Federal Parliament’s House of the People, making him one of the country’s most prominent political figures. He becomes the third President of South West state. Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden: served as the first president when the state was formed in 2014. He was succeeded by Abdiasis Laftagareen in 2018.

Aadan Madoobe is regarded as one of Somalia’s most experienced politicians, having held several senior positions over the past three decades. Born on April 15, 1956, and reportedly hailing from Hudur district in the Bakool region, he has played an influential role in both regional and national politics.

During the years following the collapse of Somalia’s central government, he emerged as a senior leader within the Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA), serving as the movement’s First Deputy Chairman during efforts to defend Bay and Bakool regions.

Over the years, Aadan Madoobe has occupied a number of high-profile government positions, including Minister of Justice in the Transitional Federal Government and Speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament from 2007 to 2010.

He also briefly served as Somalia’s Acting President between December 2008 and January 2009 following the resignation of former President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed.

In 2014, he was appointed Minister of Industry and Commerce before returning to parliamentary leadership. In April 2022, lawmakers elected him Speaker of the House of the People, a position he has held since.

His victory in Baydhabo adds another chapter to a long political career that has seen him occupy some of the highest offices in Somalia’s political system.