Somalia honors former Parliament Speaker Prof. Jawari with state funeral

Somali people paid their last respects to the former Speaker of the Somali Parliament, Prof. Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari, in a state funeral prayer in Mogadishu on Saturday.

Political leaders, including President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Barre, attended the prayer.

Prof. Jawari, whose death was announced last Friday, was 79. Somalia's current leaders praised him as a respected statesman who worked for the Somali government for 60 years.

In his tribute, President Mohamud called Prof. Jawari a man who played a historic role in developing the government and building institutions in Somalia. 

"He served his country in various capacities and was one of the leaders who dedicated their life and wealth to rebuilding the government," President Mohamud said.

Who is Prof. Jawari?

Prof. Mohamed Sheikh Osman was born in Afgoye district in the Lower Shabelle region in 1945. 

He grew up in Bur Hakaba district in the Bay region and studied law at Somali National University.

Between 1979 and 1985, he served as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. From 1973 to 1979, he served as Director General and Deputy Director General at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

Prof. Jawari eventually became Minister of Transport, Labor and Labor in the government led by former President Mohamed Siad Barre. 

He was also a member of parliament during the military government.

When the government collapsed, Prof. Jawari went to Norway and lived there for a while. In Norway, he worked in development and education.

When reconciliation efforts to form a government in Somalia began, he was among those who returned to help establish the Somali government. He became the chairman of the Independent Commission, which drafted the latest constitution, and served as a senior adviser to the Constitution Commission for a long time.

In 2012, Prof. Jawari became the Speaker of the Federal Parliament of Somalia, the first parliament elected in the country and chosen by traditional elders. In 2017, he became the House of the People Speaker again but resigned after a political conflict with the government.

He was recently part of a committee appointed by President Hassan Sheikh to defend Somalia's independence and territorial unity amid diplomatic tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia.

Prof. Jawari also lectured university students, encouraging them to focus on the country's development. He was well-versed in Somali language and culture and fluent in Somali, Italian, English, Arabic, and Norwegian.

In 2022, social media reports falsely claimed that Prof. Jawari had passed away, but his relatives later denied the news.

Prof. Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari died at 79, leaving behind nine children—five daughters and four sons.