Muse Bihi Abdi

His Excellency Muse Bihi Abdi موسى بيحي عبدي
Official portrait, 2017
5th President of Somaliland
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 December 2017
Vice President	Abdirahman Saylici
Preceded by	Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud
Chairman of Peace, Unity, and Development Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 2010
Preceded by	Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud
Minister of Interior
In office 1993–1995
President	Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal
Preceded by	Unknown
Succeeded by	Ahmed Jaambiir Suldan
Personal details
Born	1948 Hargeisa, British Somaliland (now Somaliland)
Citizenship	Somalilander
Political party	Peace, Unity, and Development Party
Spouse(s)	Zahra Abdilahi Absia Roda Ahmed Omar
Alma mater	Gagarin Air Force Academy United States Military Academy University of Hargeisa
Signature

Musa Bihi Abdi (Somali: Muuse Biixi Cabdi, Arabic: موسى بيحي عبدي‎) (born 1948 in Hargeisa, Somaliland)^[1] is a Somaliland politician and former military officer who has been President of Somaliland since December 2017. During the 1970s, he served as a pilot in the Somali Air Force under the Siad Barre administration. In 2010, Bihi was appointed the Chairman of the ruling Kulmiye of Republic of Somaliland. In November 2015, Bihi was selected as the party's Presidential Candidate at the 5th annual central committee convention.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7]}

On 21 November 2017 Muse Bihi was announced the winner of the 2017 presidential election. He officially became the President of Somaliland on 13 December 2017.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Military career[]

In 1985, he defected from the Somali Army and joined the rebel Somali National Movement (SNM) that eventually helped to successfully oust the Somali dictator’s regime after a long armed struggle in 1991.^[8][12][13]

From 1985 to 1988 Bihi took part in conducting intensive guerrilla war operations conducted by the SNM against the Siad Barre regime. Until 1990, Bihi served as rebel commander before joining politics and serving as home affairs minister under the late President Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal in 1994. ^[8][14][15]

Political career[]

Egal Administration[]

After the rebirth and declaration of Independence of Somaliland in 1991, Col. Muse Bihi Abdi played a vital role in the reconciliation process of the Somaliland clans in Burao, Berbera, Sheekh and Borama.^[16]

In 1993, Bihi served as Minister of Interior and National Security in late President Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal's government.^[1]

Silanyo Administration[]

In 2010, Bihi became the chairman of Somaliland’s Kulmiye Party. In 2015, Bihi was elected by the Party Congress as the Kulmiye presidential candidate in the forthcoming elections of 2017 presidential election.^[1]

2017 presidential election[]

The 2017 Somaliland presidential elections were held on 13 November 2017. On 21 November Bihi was announced as the winner of the election, becoming President-elect of Somaliland.^[8][17]

Presidency[]

5th President of Somaliland.

Muse Bihi Abdi was officially sworn in as the 5th President of the Republic of Somaliland on 13 December 2017 in the capital Hargeisa with dignitaries from Ethiopia, Djibouti, the European Union and the United Kingdom in attendance.^{[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]}

References[]

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