Abdirahim Ali Ismail

Abdirahim Ali Ismail Farah , also known as Qase, is a Somali politician who has served as the Mayor of Las Anod, the capital of the Sool region, since 20 June 2021, following the 2021 Somaliland municipal elections.

Background Abdirahim belongs to the Dhulbahante clan, a major sub-clan of the Darod clan family, which predominates in the Sool region.

Career In the 2021 Somaliland municipal elections, Abdirahim was elected to the Las Anod municipal council on the Waddani ticket and, at the council’s first sitting on 20 June 2021, was chosen by councillors as mayor, succeeding Abdiaziz Hussein Hassan.

Following his appointment, he introduced several municipal security and administrative measures in late 2021, including the establishment of neighbourhood security committees, a re-division of the city into districts for public-order purposes, and a city-wide registration of houses and residents.

2023 Las Anod conflict and SSC-Khatumo In January 2023, amid protests and targeted killings, Abdirahim said Las Anod had calmed after overnight clashes and that municipal authorities and community elders were working to stabilise the city; he also confirmed that army units withdrew to reduce harm to civilians. As clashes intensified in February, he rejected the “terrorist” label for residents and urged a withdrawal of Somaliland forces; district authorities later reported more than 210 people killed and 680 injured and appealed for all armed forces to keep away from the city. On Eid al-Fitr (21 April 2023), he said that achieving peace in the Sool region lay with the President of Somaliland, calling for troops to leave the city, and on 23 April he urged a rapid end to hostilities. During the conflict, reporting continued to identify Abdirahim as mayor while Las Anod aligned with the SSC-Khatumo administration; August 2023 coverage confirmed he remained in office. In June 2025, while serving as mayor, he called for justice after two sisters were raped in the city, urging calm and stating that authorities were investigating the case.