Hear Ambassador Ahmed Isse Awad, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of The Federal Republic of Somalia, speak about economic, political, and cultural aspects of Somalia as well as the country’s efforts to rebuild after years of war.
About Ambassador Awad
Ambassador Ahmed Isse Awad is the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of The Federal Republic of Somalia. He had the honor to reopen the Somali Embassy in Washington, D.C. after it has been closed for 24 years. Before his post in Washington, D.C., Ambassador Awad worked in peacebuilding for UN Peacekeeping missions in Sudan, where he promoted conflict resolution, peace, reconciliation and trust building, good governance, and the role of civil society in the peace process. Prior to joining the UN, Ambassador Awad participated as a resource person in the Somali Reconciliation Conference in Arta in Djibouti and the Somalia National Reconciliation Conference in Kenya. He also served as Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister for The Transitional National Government of Somalia. His work and interests include the promotion of peace and state-building in post-conflict societies, democratic governance, diplomacy, international relations, global affairs, and empowerment of youth and women. Ambassador Awad holds a master’s degree from the Institute of Peace and Security Studies of the Addis Ababa University and a bachelor’s degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.