Muse Hassan Sheikh Sayid Abdulle (, ; born 1940), also known as Muse Sayyid Hassan or Mussa Hassan Sheikh Abdulle, is a senior Somali military figure and politician. He has been the acting

president of Somalia The president of Somalia () is the head of state of Somalia. The president is also commander-in-chief of the Somali Armed Forces. The president represents the Federal Republic of Somalia, and the unity of the Somali nation, as well as ensuri ...

and interim

speaker Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Speaker" (song), by David ...

of the

Federal Parliament The Parliament of Australia (officially the Parliament of the Commonwealth and also known as the Federal Parliament) is the federal legislature of Australia. It consists of three elements: the monarch of Australia (represented by the governor ...

. He is Somalia's ambassador to

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Biography

His name is transliterated in various ways including ''Musa Hassan Abdulle''. He was born in 1940 in Shilabo, Ogaden and hails from Bahgeri sub-clan of the larger Ogaden Absame Kuumade

Darod The Darod (, ) is a Somali clan. The forefather of this clan is Sheikh Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, more commonly known as Darod. The clan primarily settles the apex of the Horn of Africa and its peripheries, the Somali hinterlands adjacent ...

clan.

Career

Military career

Abdulle was a prominent member of the

Somali National Army The Somali National Army () are the ground forces component of the Somali Armed Forces. Since Somali independence in 1960, the Army fought to expand and increase Somalia's sphere of influence throughout the Horn of Africa counter to Ethiopia' ...

. He was among the first three Somali cadets to graduate from the

Military Academy of Modena The Military Academy of Modena () is a military university in Modena, northern Italy. Located in the Ducal Palace of Modena in the historic center of the city, it was the first such military institution to be created in the world. The academy i ...

(Accademia Militare di Modena), located in

Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...

, northern

. In 1985, Abdulle received a fellowship to attend the

National Defense University National Defence (or Defense) University (or College) may refer to: :''Alphabetical by country'' University * Marshal Fahim National Defense University, Afghanistan * National Defense University (Azerbaijan) * People's Liberation Army National Defe ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

He graduated from the institution the following year.

Federal Government of Somalia

Federal Parliament and interim presidency

Following the end of the mandate of the

Transitional Federal Government The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) (, , ) was internationally recognized as a provisional government of the Somalia from 14 October 2004 until 20 August 2012. It was established in Nairobi, Kenya, following the Transitional National Govern ...

(TFG) on 20 August 2012 and the concurrent start of the

Federal Government of Somalia The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS; , DFS; ) is the internationally recognised government of Somalia, and the longest running attempt to create a central government in Somalia since the collapse of the Somali Democratic Republic in 1991. It ...

, Abdulle, as the eldest legislator, was appointed interim speaker of the new

during its inaugural session held at the

Aden Adde International Airport Aden Adde International Airport (, ) , formerly known as Mogadishu International Airport, is an international airport serving Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. It is named after Aden Abdullah Osman Daar, the first President of Somalia. Orig ...

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 ...

. He was additionally named Acting President at the ceremony, which also saw the swearing in of many MPs. Voting for a new speaker of Parliament was held on 28 August 2012, with former Minister of Transportation and Minister of Labor and Sports

Mohamed Osman Jawari Mohamed Osman Jawari (, ; 7 December 1945 – 28 June 2024), also known as Mohamed Jawari or Osman Jawari, was a Somali attorney and politician. He was Speaker of the Federal Parliament of Somalia from 2012 to 2018. He also briefly served as act ...

elected the permanent speaker. On 30 August 2012, the Federal Parliament convened and unanimously endorsed a new committee tasked with overseeing Somalia's 2012 presidential elections. At the parliamentary session chaired by the new Speaker Jawari, 15 MPs were named to the body and Abdulle was appointed the commission's chairperson. The ballot was eventually held on 1 September 2012, with

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 ...

elected as the new President of Somalia.

Ambassador to Italy

On 20 June 2013, Abdulle was named Somalia's ambassador to Italy by the cabinet.

Military training and positions

Training

– Class of 1986 * Scuola di Guerra (War College),

Civitavecchia Civitavecchia (, meaning "ancient town") is a city and major Port, sea port on the Tyrrhenian Sea west-northwest of Rome. Its legal status is a ''comune'' (municipality) of Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Rome, Lazio. The harbour is formed by ...

– 1968–70 * Battalion Commander Training,

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 ...

– 1964–65 * Scuola Applicazione d'Arma (Military Research Institute),

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

, Italy – 1961–63 * Modena Military Academy,

, Italy – 1959–61 * Scuola Media Superiore (High School), Mogadishu – 1955–59

Experience

* Commander, 60th Division,

Baidoa Baidoa (, Somali (Af-Maxaa): , ) is the largest city of the South West State of Somalia. Between 2002 and 2014, Baidoa was the capital of the South West State. In 2014, the capital was changed to Barawa. Overview Baydhabo is the main hub of ...

, Somalia – 1986–89 * Promoted to the rank of brigadier general – 1986 * Commandant, Ahmed Gurey War College, Mogadishu – 1983–84 * Member, National Purchasing Board, Mogadishu – 1979–83 * Defense Attache,

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, Italy – 1976–79 * Military Advisor & Aide to the President – 1973–76 * Promoted to the rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

– 1974 * Director of Operations, Ministry of Defense – 1971–73 * Commander, 26th Division, Somali National Army,

Hargeisa Hargeisa ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Somaliland, a ''List of states with limited recognition, de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still considered internationally to be part of Somalia. It is also th ...

– 1970–71 * Promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel – 1970 * Commander, Tank and motorized Battalions, Hargeisa – 1965–68 * Promoted to the rank of

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

– 1967 * Promoted to the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

– 1965 * Promoted to the rank of

1st lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a sen ...

– 1963 * Promoted to the rank of 2nd lieutenant – 1961 * Joined Somali National Army – 1959