Ali Haji Warsame ( so, Cali Xaaji Warsame, ar, علي حاج ورسمه) is a
Somali entrepreneur, accountant, and politician. He served as the first Director of Management at the
Port of Bosaso, and later as the chief executive officer of
Golis Telecom Somalia
Golis Telecom Somalia ( so, Shirkadda Isgaadhsiinta ee Golis Soomaaliya), shortened to Golis, is the largest telecommunications operator in the Puntland state of northeastern Somalia. It was founded in 2002 with the objective of supplying the cou ...
. In 2014, he was appointed the Minister of Education of
Puntland
Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...
.
Personal life
Warsame was born in 1964 in Seemada, a village near the
Jariban District
Jariban District ( so, District Jariiban ) is a district in the north-central Mudug region of Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of ...
in the
Mudug
Mudug ( so, Mudug; it, Mudugh) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in north-central Somalia. The population of Mudug is 131,455 as of 2005.
Overview
Physiographically, Mudug is bordered to the west by Ethiopia,Országismertető - Szomália ...
province of the autonomous
Puntland
Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...
state in northeastern
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
. His late father was a lawyer, judge, politician, intellectual, and community and religious leader who was part of the local independence movement in the 1940s and 1950s. His mother hails from the northern
Sool
Sool ( so, Sool, ar, صول) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in south eastern Somaliland/north western Somalia. It borders Togdheer to the west, Sanaag to the north, Ethiopia to the south and Nugal, Bari to the east. Its capital city ...
province.
Warsame belongs to the Omar Mahmoud subclan of
Majeerteen
The Majeerteen ( so, Majeerteen, ar, ماجرتين; also spelled Majerteen, Macherten, Majertain, or Mijurtin) is a sub-clan. It is one of the major Somali groups, with a vast traditional territory spanning 3 major regions of Somalia: Bari, ...
Harti
Harti ( so, Harti, ar, هرتي), meaning "strong man", is a Somali clan family that is part of the Darod clan. The major sub-clans include the Majeerteen, Dhulbahante, Warsangali, Tinle, Maganlabe and Dishiishe, while other minor sub-clans ...
Darod
The Darod ( so, Daarood, ar, دارود) is a Somali clan. The forefather of this clan was Sheikh Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, more commonly known as ''Darood''. The clan primarily settles the apex of the Horn of Africa and its peripherie ...
clan.
He began school in the northwestern town of
Hargeisa
Hargeisa (; so, Hargeysa, ar, هرجيسا) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Somaliland. It is located in the Maroodi Jeex region of the Horn of Africa. It succeeded Burco as the capital of the British Somaliland Protector ...
, the second largest city in Somalia. Warsame completed his primary education in the Mudug province capital of
Galkayo
Galkayo ( so, Gaalkacyo, ar, جالكعيو Dr Badal Kariye Ba Bsit Ma Mba & Phd, ''The Kaleidoscopic Lover: The Civil War in the Horn of Africa & My Itinerary for a Peaceful Lover'', (AuthorHouse: 2010), p.116.) which in Af- Somali translates t ...
. He subsequently studied at the Somali Institute for Development, Administration and Management (SIDAM), earning a bachelor's degree in business management and administration in 1990. In 2003, he received an MBA in management information systems from the
American University in London.
Besides Somalia, Warsame has lived and worked in various countries, including the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
and the United Kingdom. He is also fluent in a number of languages, notably
Somali,
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
and English.
Career
Early career
Professionally, Warsame is a successful entrepreneur. He has extensive knowledge and work experience in auditing, accounting and public financial management.
He started his career as a Financial and Administrative Controller for Man and Brothers, a private firm in the water facility installation industry. When the
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
broke out in Somalia in 1991, Warsame relocated to the northern regions of
Puntland
Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...
where he spent more years.
Warsame later moved to the UAE. He held managerial positions in various local institutions. Between June 1991 to March 2012, he was a Senior Consultant/Partner at Falcon Associates Limited. He also served as an Auditor/Senior-in-charge at the
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
Accountability Authority, as a Financial Controller at the UAE Ministry of Education-affiliated Abu Dhabi Educational Zone, and as a Senior Auditor at Al-Radhwan Accounting and Auditing. Warsame likewise acted as a Senior Accountant at the Pistache Trading Co. LLC.
From 2001 and 2003, Warsame began lecturing at a number of educational institutions in the United Arab Emirates. He taught accounting, business law, reporting, financial accounting and auditing at the Abu Dhabi Audit Authority. He also served as an instructor on accounting and accounting software applications at the Somali Cultural Foundation and Hatta Computers Company in
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
.
In 2012, Warsame returned to Somalia, becoming the chief executive officer of
Golis Telecom. Among the largest telecommunications companies in the country, it had 41 branches and 141 centers across the Puntland, Somaliland and Galmudug regions in 2013. Warsame worked at the firm from May 2012 to October 2013, and was responsible for overseeing managerial and financial activities, formulating administrative policies and procedures, adhering to the operational budget and financial guidelines, and liaising with all of the company's divisions, departments, sections and sub-sections.
In 2013, Warsame presented himself as a candidate in the
2014 Puntland presidential elections, which took place on 8 January 2014 in
Garowe
Garowe ( so, Garoowe, ar, غَاْرَّوْؤَيَ, . He received the endorsement of former Puntland Interim Vice President Mohamed Ali Yusuf "Gaagaab", who dropped out of the race on 2 January 2014.
The first round of voting saw 8 of the 11 presidential contenders eliminated from the running. Ali H. Warsame, incumbent Puntland President
Abdirahman Mohamud Farole
Abdirahman Mohamud Farole ( so, Cabdiraxmaan Maxamuud Faroole; ar, عبد الرحمن محمد; born 1945) is a Somali politician. He served for many years in the government, acting as a governor of the Nugal region of Somalia in the 1990s ...
and former Prime Minister of Somalia
subsequently moved on to the second round, where Warsame was eliminated. He received 16 votes versus 18 for Ali and 31 for Farole, with Ali eventually winning the ballot.
Minister of Education
On 28 January 2014, Warsame was appointed Puntland's Minister of Education by the region's new President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali.
Warsame was later sacked by Puntland's president, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali while on visit to UK
Philanthropy
Besides business and politics, Warsame is also involved in a number of philanthropic endeavours. He is a contributor to various charity organizations in Somalia and elsewhere. He also provides basic training services to youth and adult learners in the Puntland region. Additionally, Warsame is a trustee of the UK-based MURDA charity, which offers training and educational programs overseas.
Professional memberships
Warsame is a member of a number of professional organizations:
*Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
*Member of the Somali Association of Certified Accountants
*Member of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Licensed Auditor from Delaware State Board of Accountancy
*Certified Accounting Technician
*Assessor from City & Guilds, UK.
Puntland
Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...
In 2013, Warsame presented himself as a candidate of
Puntland presidential election (2014), which took place on 8 January
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
in
Garowe
Garowe ( so, Garoowe, ar, غَاْرَّوْؤَيَ, .
He received the endorsement of former Puntland Interim Vice President Mohamed Ali Yusuf "Gaagaab", who dropped out of the race on 2 January 2014.
The first round of voting saw 8 of the 11 presidential contenders eliminated from the running.
Ali H. Warsame, incumbent
Puntland
Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...
President
Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamoud (Faroole) and former Prime Minister of Somalia
Abdiweli Mohamed Ali (Gaas).
subsequently moved on to the second round, where Warsame was eliminated. He received 16 votes versus 18 for Ali and 31 for
Faroole, with Ali eventually winning the ballot.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Warsame, Ali Haji
1964 births
Living people
Ethnic Somali people
Somalian businesspeople
Somalian Muslims
Government ministers of Puntland
People from Mudug