MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud joined several key political figures in Mogadishu on Friday for a remembrance ceremony dedicated to the late Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud Silanyo, former president of Somaliland. The event aimed to tribute Silanyo’s legacy of fostering peace and dialogue between Somalia and Somaliland.
During the ceremony, President Mohamud extolled Silanyo’s peaceful nature and his significant contributions to the Somalia-Somaliland dialogue. “He was a man of peace, a leader who did not get angry,” Mohamud remarked, sharing insights from a meeting where Silanyo had expressed optimism for reconciliation between the two regions.
Distinguished attendees included Deputy Prime Minister Salah Jama, Finance Minister Bihi Imaan Egeh, Minister of Public Works Dr. Elmi Mohamud Nur, and former Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Guuleed, all of whom spoke on Silanyo’s political career and his dedication to public service.
Silanyo, born in Buro in 1938, had an extensive political resume. He held several ministerial posts in Somalia before becoming a central figure in the Somali National Movement (SNM), which was instrumental in the fall of President Mohamed Siyad Barre’s government.
After the 1991 declaration of Somaliland’s independence, Silanyo established the Kulmiye party and led the region as president from 2010 to 2017, a period marked by efforts toward stability and economic growth.
He retired from politics in 2017 due to health reasons and lived out his days in Hargeisa, passing away at the age of 86. His legacy continues to resonate in the political landscape of both Somalia and Somaliland, remembered for his efforts in seeking peaceful coexistence and development.
