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'''Villa Somalia''' ({{
==History==
The edifice was built in the [[Art Deco]] style by the colonial authorities in [[Italian Somaliland]], serving as a residence for the Governors.<ref>[http://senato.archivioluce.it/senato-luce/scheda/foto/IL0600000962/8/Campo-sportivo.html 1938 Foto, showing the athletic race track near the newly built Villa Somalia]</ref>
Villa Somalia (originally called ''Villa del Viceré'' when inaugurated in October 1936) was on high ground that overlooked [[Mogadishu under Italian rule|Italian Mogadishu]] on the [[Indian Ocean]], with access to both the [[Port of Mogadishu|harbour]] and [[Aden Adde International Airport|Petrella airport]]. It was originally a large, squarish [[stucco]] building with a tiled roof.<ref name="Rsnasvtio">{{cite book|title=Reports Service: Northeast Africa series, Volume 13, Issue 1|year=1966|publisher=American Universities Field Staff|url=https://
The edifice was built in the new section of the city (developed by the Italians in the late 1930s) and it was a famous symbol of modernist (art deco) architecture.
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{{Blockquote|''The story of Mogadishu’s Modernist buildings begins during the time of Italian colonial rule. Unlike Asmara in Eritrea and Tripoli in Libya, where the Italians built their colonial city alongside the native walled town, in Mogadishu the walls of the old medina were torn down and the occupiers’ buildings imposed in the city centre.....Another prominent building of the period is Villa Somalia, an Art Deco palace which served as the residence of the Italian governor.....it is still in good condition today, thanks to the fact that it remained the seat of whoever was internationally recognised as the leader of Somalia, with all the security that entailed.'' –Rakesh Ramchum<ref>[http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/culture/mogadishus-modernist-heritage/8660095.article Villa Somalia, an Italian era modernist building in Mogadishu]</ref>}}
Following independence in 1960, the building became the presidential palace of the
During the early 2000's, Villa Somalia was under the control of the powerful Mogadishu warlord [[Hussein Farrah Aidid|Hussein Farah Aidid]] of the [[Somali National Alliance]] (SNA) and [[Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council]] (SRRC). Aidid and the SRRC were opposed to the newly formed [[Transitional National Government of Somalia|Transitional National Government]] (TNG) and used the Villa as a base to attack the TNG and forces loyal to it.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 May 2001 |title=Somalia: Fighting at port challenges interim government - Somalia |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/somalia-fighting-port-challenges-interim-government |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=[[ReliefWeb]] |language=en |agency=[[The New Humanitarian]]}}</ref> Following a dispute between Aidids forces during June 2003, a heavy weapon was discharged on the Villa's grounds resulting in one of the largest explosions in the capital since 1991.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2003-06-30 |title=UNICEF Somalia Review Jun 2003 - Somalia {{!}} ReliefWeb |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/unicef-somalia-review-jun-2003 |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=[[ReliefWeb]] |language=en}}</ref> In his role as Minister of the Interior of the [[Transitional Federal Government of Somalia|Transitional Federal Government]] (TFG), Aidid made a public visit to the Villa in August 2005.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Qaajo |first=Farxiyo Cali |date=15 August 2005 |title=Xuseen Maxamed Caydiid oo Muqdisho ku noqday |trans-title=Hussein Mohamed Aydid returns to Mogadishu |url=https://www.bbc.com/somali/news/story/2005/08/printable/050814_muqdisho |work=[[BBC Somali]]}}</ref> Up until the summer of 2006 when the [[Islamic Courts Union]] (ICU) defeated the [[Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism|Somali Warlord Alliance]], the Villa remained one of the last warlord holdouts in Mogadishu, then under the control of militia loyal to Hussein Aidid.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-07-10 |title=Mogadishu's last secular warlord surrenders |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna13803088 |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=[[NBC News]] |language=en}}</ref>
Villa Somalia served as the headquarters of the [[Islamic Courts Union]] during 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Farah |first=Mohamed Abdi |date=21 December 2006 |title=ICU SAYS SCORES OF ETHIOPIAN SOLDIERS KILLED IN THE FIGHTING |url=https://www.somalinet.com/library/news-archive/english/somalia/6029 |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=www.somalinet.com}}</ref> During the [[War in Somalia (2006–2009)|Ethiopian invasion of Somalia]], President [[Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed]] of the [[Transitional Federal Government]] entered Mogadishu for the first time on 8 January 2007. The government subsequently relocated to Villa Somalia from its interim location at [[Baidoa]].<ref name="Spvmaev">{{cite news|title=Somalia president visits Mogadishu after Ethiopian victory|url=http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_president_visits_Mogadishu_after_Ethiopian_6960_printer.shtml|access-date=24 January 2014|newspaper=Garowe Online|date=8 January 2007}}</ref> Soon after, the Ethiopian [[Diplomatic mission|embassy]] was set up in the Villa Somalia compound.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 November 2024 |title=Ethiopian embassy relocation exposes deepening diplomatic rift |url=https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2024/Nov/198789/ethiopian_embassy_relocation_exposes_deepening_diplomatic_rift.aspx |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=[[Hiiraan Online]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
Today, it is the office of the President of Somalia [[Hassan Sheikh Mohamud]].▼
== Chief of Staff ==
[[Mohamed Abdullahi
On 8 September 2021 [[Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed]] appointed Abdisaid Muse Ali as [[Chief of staff|Chief of Staff]] for Villa Somalia, previously he was National Security Advisor to the President.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Farmaajo changes tune, appoints another spy chief as PM Roble accuses him of sabotage|url=https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/farmaajo-changes-tune-appoints-another-spy-chief-as-pm-roble-accuses-him-of-sabotage|access-date=2021-09-11|website=Garowe Online|language=en}}</ref>▼
In June 2022 President [[Hassan Sheikh Mohamud]] announced the appointment of Hussein Sheikh Mohamud as the new Chief of Staff Villa Somalia. He made this important appointment after one month of assuming the office of President.
In August 2023 President [[Hassan Sheikh Mohamud]] officially announced the appointment of Abdihakim Mohamed Yusuf as the new Chief of Staff Villa Somalia; for the Office of the President.
Yusuf, previously a political advisor to President Mohamud, boasts over two decades of expertise in areas like government institution development, good governance, conflict resolution, and human rights advocacy.
In his address, President Mohamud encouraged the newly-appointed Chief of Staff Villa Somalia to serve with unwavering dedication and efficiency. He stressed the significance of faithful and devoted service to the country.
It’s worth noting that Hussein Sheikh Mohamud, the prior chief of staff, resigned in May but only made his departure public this week.
▲On 8 September 2021 Mohamed appointed Abdisaid Muse Ali as [[Chief of staff|Chief of Staff]] for Villa Somalia, previously he was National Security Advisor to the President.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Farmaajo changes tune, appoints another spy chief as PM Roble accuses him of sabotage|url=https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/farmaajo-changes-tune-appoints-another-spy-chief-as-pm-roble-accuses-him-of-sabotage|access-date=2021-09-11|website=Garowe Online|language=en}}</ref>
==See also==
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==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smFjcE2exm0 Video of Villa Somalia in 1991]
* [https://twitter.com/thevillasomalia?lang=en Villa Somalia on Twitter]
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