Mustafa Omer Re-elected as President of Ethiopia’s Somali Region

GOOBJOOG NEWS | JIGJIGA: Mustafe Mohammed Omer, widely known as Mustafe Cagjar, has been re-elected president of Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State, according to an announcement by the regional administration, extending his leadership of the region that began with the political transition of 2018.

The regional administration also announced the re-election of Ibrahim Osman Farah as vice-president.

Mustafe first assumed the leadership of the Somali Regional State on August 22, 2018, following the political upheaval that ended the tenure of former president Abdi Mohamoud Omar, known as Abdi Iley. He was subsequently formally elected president by the regional council in October 2021.

His latest re-election means he will continue leading the region as its administration pursues development programmes, investment and expansion of public services, while also dealing with challenges including drought, infrastructure needs and access to basic services.

Mustafe has remained a prominent figure in the political administration of Ethiopia’s Somali Region since the 2018 transition. In recent months, regional authorities have highlighted infrastructure, agricultural development, skills training and investment as key areas of their development agenda.

In September, Mustafe attended the launch of a vocational and technical college project in Qabribayax, valued at more than 482 million Ethiopian birr and expected to take two years to complete, according to Ethiopia’s state broadcaster ENA.

Ibrahim Osman Farah, meanwhile, has continued to serve as deputy president and has been involved in the regional administration’s economic and infrastructure programmes. In September, he announced plans for a 1.5 billion-birr administrative office project in Marmarsa in the Sitti Zone and said the regional government planned to allocate 20 billion birr for urban development during the year.

Farah also took part in the launch of an agricultural project in Sitti Zone in late September aimed at developing 1,000 hectares of farmland, with regional authorities putting the cost at nearly $6.2 million.

Mustafe’s continued leadership comes as the Somali Regional State seeks to expand economic activity and public infrastructure while addressing longstanding development and climate-related challenges affecting communities across the region.

His political journey began with his selection to lead the region during the 2018 transition, following years of political and security tensions under the previous administration. His rise was part of the wider political changes that followed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s emergence as Ethiopia’s national leader.

The latest leadership decision gives Mustafe another mandate to oversee the regional administration, with the coming period likely to focus on development, investment, public services and security across Ethiopia’s Somali Region.