Ali Waran'ade was born in the 1950s. He hails from the
Habar Yoonis of
Garhajis/
Isaaq clan. He subsequently served for many years in the
Somali National Security Service (Nabad-Sugid, NSS), the former state security agency under the
Siad Barre government. Ali Waran'ade played an important role in the peace and disarmament process in Somaliland following the civil war. In April 2001, Ali Waran'ade criticised
Somalia's Transitional National Government for interfering to prevent the Somaliland constitutional referendum from being held in
Sool,
Sanaag and
Buhoodle District, insisting that these disputed areas were an integral part of Somaliland. Later that same year, in 2001, the Minister of Information was replaced by
Abdillahi Mohamed Duale.
Aviation Minister In August 2006, President
Dahir Riyale Kahin appointed Ali Waran'ade as Minister of Civil Aviation, replacing Nur Amin Ismail, who became Minister of the Presidency. In June 2009, following
Djibouti's constitutional amendment that enabled an extension of presidential terms, media reports suggested that Ali Waran'ade had implied Somaliland could pursue a similar course; however, he forcefully denied the claim in a subsequent press conference. However, his initial remarks sparked public backlash.
Former Aviation Minister After incumbent president Dahir Riyale Kahin lost the
2010 presidential election, the former ruling
UDUB party split when Kahin backed Ali Waran'ade—like himself a former officer in Somalia's National Security Service (NSS)—as the party's next presidential candidate, while former vice president
Ahmed Yusuf Yasin supported Jamal Ali Hussain, who is from the same
Isa Musa clan.; this internal division contributed to UDUB's failure to submit its registration as a political association in time for the
2012 municipal elections. In January 2012, Ali Waran'ade argued in a press interview that a
Somalia-related conference hosted by the United Kingdom and to which Somaliland had been invited risked marginalizing Somaliland's position in favor of a Somalia-centric agenda, and that Somaliland should not participate in such meetings. He also criticized President Silanyo's foreign policy, contending that it placed insufficient emphasis on respect for Somaliland's independence. However, President Silanyo attended the conference. At the conference, President Silanyo argued that supporting and recognising Somaliland would help to promote stability and recovery in Somalia. In September 2012, Ali Waran'ade graduated from the University of Hargeisa alongside former vice president
Abdirahman Aw Ali Farrah.
To Waddani, and to Kulmiye In November 2012, Ali Waran'ade joined the
Waddani political association. Explaining his decision, he argued that Somaliland needed a new political direction for the future and praised Waddani's platform for emphasizing values such as democracy, youth participation and governmental transparency. However, a few months later he joined the ruling Kulmiye party.
Interior Minister In June 2013, Ali Waran'ade was appointed Minister of Interior by President Silanyo, replacing Mohamed Nour Arale in the post. In February 2014, following the detention of three officials from the Federal Government of Somalia who had entered Somaliland without authorization, Interior Minister Ali Waran'ade stated that individuals acting on behalf of the Somalia government were not permitted to enter Somaliland under the current circumstances, but added that such entry could become possible if Somalia were to recognize Somaliland. On 1 August 2016, media reports alleged that Ali Waran'ade had removed weapons from a Somaliland navy base, but the Ministry of Interior denied the claims and warned that it would not tolerate fake news or false accusations from the press.
Ambassador to Ethiopia In mid-August 2016, President Silanyo appointed
Yasin Haji Mohamoud as Minister of Interior in place of Ali Waran'ade; Silanyo had initially intended to name Ali Waran'ade as minister for civil aviation, but he instead requested the post of ambassador to
Ethiopia, which was granted.
Presidential advisor In December 2016, Ali Waran'ade was appointed as a special advisor to the president, while former planning minister Ali Shoombe was named as his successor as Somaliland's ambassador to Ethiopia. In February 2017, Ali Waran'ade congratulated
Mohamed Abdullahi "Farmaajo" on his election as president of Somalia and warned him not to follow his predecessors in ignoring the existence and independence of Somaliland. In June 2018, Ali Waran'ade used a televised address to respond to questions about how he, as a perceived non-mainstream figure within the
Kulmiye Party, could seek the presidency, arguing that Somaliland is a democratic state in which political choices should be based on ideas, ability and who can deliver, rather than on clan affiliation. ==Lion and Waran'ade==