Daud Aweis Jama was  appointed the new Minister of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism in the new Somali cabinet announced by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre. Before this appointment, Aweis was a senior official working with the UN in Somalia as an advisor to the office of the Special Representative of Secretary General (SRSG).

He has been a post for the last six years, providing advice on Somalia politics, security, reconciliation, and elections. Before joining the UN, Mr Aweis served as a Senior Advisor and Spokesperson to Somalia President between 2014 to 2016. Aweis is a very experienced journalist who has worked for BBC for 13 years.

He appeared on BBC outlets including Swahili, Somali, and English (Network, Focus on Africa, News Day) Outlook, World Today and others during his tenure. He was also the BBC analyst for the Horn and East Africa region. Aweis was Positioned with BBC for a duration of time that included major events on the African Continent. He covered important events such as elections, African summits, and interviews with heads of state and other prominent figures.

In his media career, Aweis has worked with many different media outlets, including VOA Somali Service, London-based Africa Confidential, and Pan African News Agency. He started his career in education and has served as a school teacher and principal in Mogadishu, Somalia. He was a senior director at the Ministry of Education in Somalia.

Daud Aweis is an accomplished academic, with a Master’s in Journalism from Kenyatta University and a Master’s in Global Diplomacy, Politics and Security from SOAS/University of London. He is taking up a new position as a minister and is likely to bring a wealth of experience and significant changes to the field due to his background in media, communication, public relations and politics. He becomes the new Information Minister, taking over from the late Yasin Haji Ismail Jirde.