Mohamed Nur
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Mohamoud Ahmed Nur (, ) is a Somali politician. He served as the
Mayor of Mogadishu The Mayor of Mogadishu is head of the executive branch of Mogadishu, the Capital city, capital of Somalia. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces laws wit ...
from 2010 to 27 February 2014.


Background


Personal life

Nur was born to a family from the Udejeen sub-clan of the
Hawiye The Hawiye (; ) are one of the principal and largest of the Somali clans, tracing their lineage back to Sheikh Ahmed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Uthman, also known as Sheikh Hawiye, the eponymous figure of the clan. They are considered the earliest do ...
. He was raised in
Mogadishu Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...
, the capital of
Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...
. Nur is married to Shamis, with whom he has six children and grandchildren from four of them.Mohamed Nur – From Fortune Green to Mogadishu mayor
/ref> When the
Somali Civil War The Somali Civil War (; ) is an List of ongoing armed conflicts, ongoing civil war that is taking place in Somalia. It grew out of resistance to the military junta which was led by Siad Barre during the 1980s. From 1988 to 1990, the Somali Armed ...
broke out in the early 1990s, he and his family emigrated to
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
in 1993. The family initially stayed in Hackney, later relocating to the North West neighborhood, where they are still based.


Education

Nur subsequently pursued higher education studies, graduating from the
University of Westminster The University of Westminster is a public university, public university based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution, it was the first Polytechnic (United Kingdom), polytechnic to open in London. The Po ...
.


Early career

Nicknamed "Tarzan", Nur is a civil engineer and entrepreneur by profession. In an administrative capacity, he worked as a business advisor to the
Islington Council Islington London Borough Council, also known as Islington Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Islington in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majo ...
in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. In 2006, Nur unsuccessfully campaigned for a seat as a Labour Party councillor in
Fortune Green Fortune Green is a small area in West Hampstead, London Borough of Camden. Lying on the south-west side of the Finchley Road, Hampstead town council decided to build its overflow cemetery there in the 1840s. A guide to Hampstead Cemetery, with ...
. He also established and ran the Kentish Town Somali Welfare Association, the first such Somali community organization in
Kentish Town Kentish Town is an area of northwest London, England, in the London Borough of Camden, immediately north of Camden Town, close to Hampstead Heath. Kentish Town likely derives its name from Ken-ditch or Caen-ditch, meaning the "bed of a waterw ...
. Based in a Community Centre, it offers support and direction to new immigrants.


Mayor of Mogadishu

In 2010, through his involvement with a Somali political organization in the diaspora, Nur was appointed Mogadishu's new
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
. He took on the task believing he could effect positive change by "altering the mindset of the people" in the battle-scarred city. Since taking office, Nur's administration enacted a number of reforms in a bid to improve the city's security and service delivery, including starting a garbage collection program, erecting proper streetlights and providing around-the-clock electricity, sacking corrupt public officials, and offering formal police protection. The municipal government also firmed up on traffic safety, fining motorists who drive without lights, in the wrong street lanes or carrying excessive loads. Among his more ambitious projects, Nur organized a street festival in 2011 celebrating local culture. It was the first event of its kind in many years in the city, but was vulnerable to attack by Al Shabaab insurgents. Following the ousting of the Islamist rebels from Mogadishu in mid-2011, life in the city gradually began to return to normal. Nur's administration also started large-scale rehabilitation of roads and general infrastructure, with residents closely cooperating with the civil and police authorities to tighten up on security. Nur recognized the opportunity to transform Mogadishu although resources were limited. He sought external expertise and international cooperation, yet was also careful to establish any partnerships. The evicted militants periodically continue to issue death threats to Nur via text messages and by telephone. He narrowly escaped a planted car bomb in 2011 and a road-side explosive device the following year, which killed six army soldiers. Nur consequently entrusts his security detail to his cousin and travels around the city in an armoured convoy with personal guards. With the passing of a new
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
in 2012 and the subsequent election of an inaugural president in the new
Federal Government A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...
, Nur has continued to oversee Mogadishu's ongoing post-conflict reconstruction. He chaired meetings discussing business licenses in the capital's newly established Chamber of Commerce, and organizes various development projects, including the renovation of shopping malls. In January 2014, the Banaadir administration launched a citywide street naming,
house numbering House numbering is the system of giving a unique number to each building in a street or area, with the intention of making it easier to locate a particular building. The house number is often part of a Address (geography), postal address. The ter ...
and postal codes project. Officially called the House Numbering and Post Code System, it is a joint initiative of the municipal authorities and Somali business community representatives. The initiative was founded on the success of an initiative launched by urban strategist
Mitchell Sipus Mitchell may refer to: People and fictional characters *Mitchell (surname), including lists of both people and fictional characters *Mitchell (given name), lists of people and fictional characters Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian C ...
in partnership with the Benadiir administration to advance a data-driven approach to post-war reconstruction. The project was part of the ongoing modernization and development of the capital. According to Nur, the initiative also aims to help the authorities firm up on security and resolve housing ownership disputes. The project sufficiently successful to transform United Nations strategy and partner with the initiative. Having witnessed the rapid gains the UN shifted its strategy and overtook the project, but lacked strong community ties, and the success of the project diminished over time.Mapping Mogadishu's Revivall
/ref> The same month, Nur was named Deputy Minister for Youth Sports in Prime Minister
Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed (, ; born 1959), also known as Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Mohammad, is a Somali economist and politician. He has held leadership positions with various international organizations, including the World Bank, USAID, African Union ...
's new Cabinet. Nur declined the position at a press conference, stating that he had not been consulted about the nomination. On 27 February 2014, Nur was replaced as Mayor of Mogadishu with
Hassan Mohamed Hussein Mungab Hassan Mohamed Hussein "Muungaab" ) is a Somali politician. He served twice as Mayor of Mogadishu & Governor of the Banaadir region between 27 February 2014 and 26 October 2015 and 28 may 2025 to current. He also served as State Minister of Jus ...
, a former military court chairman. Part of a security sector reform, the appointment was made by presidential decree after consultations between President
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (Somali language, Somali: ''Xasan Sheekh Maxamuud''; ; born 29 November 1955) is a Somali politician serving as the president of Somalia since 15 May 2022. He previously held the office from 2012 to 2017. Hassan was previo ...
, Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed and Interior Minister
Abdullahi Godah Barre Abdullahi Godah Barre is a Somali politician and member of parliament . He is the Minister of Education and Higher Education of Somalia, having been appointed to the position on 17 January 2017 by Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire. Godah Barr ...
. In November 2014, Mohamed Nur announced the creation of the Social Justice Party, which has justice, unity and development platform. BBC Africa correspondent
Andrew Harding Andrew Harding (born 1967) is a British journalist and author. He is currently the BBC's Paris correspondent. Career Harding began his career as a foreign correspondent in Russia in 1991. He spent a decade living in the former Soviet Union (in M ...
wrote a documentary book about Mohamed Nur entitled ''The Mayor of Mogadishu: A Story of Chaos and Redemption in the Ruins of Somalia'' (2016).


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nur, Mohamed Living people Alumni of the University of Westminster Somalian Muslims 20th-century Somalian people 21st-century Somalian people 20th-century Muslims 21st-century Muslims Year of birth missing (living people) Somalian communists Muslim socialists Mayors of Mogadishu