The Somali Ambassadorial Brothers Whose Record Will Never Be Broken!
The Somali people, known for their creativity and ability to interact with other societies, hold an unparalleled world diplomatic record. Three Somali brothers—Mohamed Sheikh Hassan Nuriye, Adam Sheikh Hassan Nuriye, and Ismail Sheikh Hassan Nuriye—represented three different nations as ambassadors at the same time.
The three brothers were the sons of a prominent Sheikh in the countries of Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti called Hassan Nuriye who was laid to rest Awbarre town in Somali region of Ethiopia. He was named after the town’s primary school. As his sons were all outstanding to the world diplomatic sector, his prayers of asking God better descendants were accepted. He took care, educated, and made them like the men they had become.
Mohamed Sheikh Hassan Nuriye served as Somalia’s ambassador to various countries like the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Nigeria, and later South Africa. He also held the position of director general at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia.
Ismail Sheikh Hassan Nuriye was the second of the ambassadorial brothers, and he was a prominent Ethiopian diplomat, serving as ambassador to Libya and Sudan. His contributions significantly advanced Ethiopian diplomatic missions.
The third is Adam Sheikh Hassan Nuriye who represented Djibouti as ambassador to Oman, Saudi Arabia and later Sudan. He currently serves as an adviser to Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh and is one of the longest-serving diplomats in Djibouti’s history.
These brothers played crucial roles in diplomacy, representing countries with very different interests. They play multifaceted roles in international diplomacy, negotiating with foreign governments to advance their nations’ interests and resolve conflicts while fostering intergovernmental relationships. They also actively promote trade and economic relations by facilitating partnerships and advocating for beneficial trade policies. The brothers were pivotal figures in promoting peace, cooperation, and mutual understanding among nations in the Horn of Africa where some of them were hostiles as Ethiopia occupied large Somali territory.
Interestingly, the three brothers once attended an international diplomatic summit in 1987 representing their respective countries. At that time, Ismail was chosen as the new Ethiopian ambassador to Libya while his brother Mohamed was already the ambassador for Somalia to Canada. Meanwhile, Ismail was already serving as the Djiboutian ambassador to Saudi Arabia. That was really extraordinary achievement by the brothers.
This unique situation often drew comments at diplomatic events, highlighting the irony that while these skilled Somali diplomats represented other nations, Somalia itself faced challenging times with limited diplomatic representation.
Three brothers representing three different countries is a clear example of how severely European colonizers divided peaceful and united societies in Africa and other continents they colonized. Somali society who share one religion, culture and land is the most affected as they were divided into five different countries. Later two united, Djibouti is independent country and large regions were added to Kenya and Ethiopia. One day they will unite with God’s will.
Sadly, Mohamed Sh. Hassan passed away in the year 2016, but the legacy of him and his brothers will forever be remembered, and their record will remain unmatched.
Hamza Yassin
