Somalia’s Parliament has elected its first representatives to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), marking a milestone in the country’s growing engagement with its regional neighbours.
The joint session of both Houses, chaired by Speaker Sheikh Adan Mohamed Noor (Madobe), took place in Mogadishu on Wednesday. Lawmakers voted to select nine representatives who will sit in the Arusha-based assembly, which serves as the legislative arm of the East African Community (EAC).
Somalia joined the EAC in 2023, becoming the bloc’s newest member after years of rebuilding state institutions and reconnecting with the region. The newly elected delegation brings together a diverse group of diplomats, reformers, and public servants — each with their own story of service and resilience.
Here are the nine representatives:
- Dr Abdisalam Hadliye
- Amb Abukar Ali Mardaadi
- Feysal Abdi Rooble
- Hussein Hassan Abdi
- Abdirahman Bashir Sharif
- Amb Sahra Ali Hassan
- Ilhan Ali Gassar
- Fahmo Ahmed Noor
- Amb Fatuma Abdullahi Insaniya
Speaker Sheikh Adan Mohamed Noor said the election reflected Somalia’s “commitment to regional unity and peaceful cooperation.”
The representatives are expected to take up their seats in Arusha, Tanzania, later this month. Their task will be to advocate for Somalia’s interests within the East African Community — a bloc that now stretches from the Indian Ocean to the heart of Central Africa.
