Career
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He became the Agricultural Minister on May 10, 2002, after the resignation of Ali Sheik Yusuf. Elmi was born in Hargeisa, and spent his childhood in Mogadishu and Hargeisa. Before his appointment to the Somaliland parliament, he was widely known for his comedic Somali films, which were released in the late 1990s.
Elmi is the son of Ahmed Elmi, a military commander during the Siad Barre years, now deceased.
His mother, Khadija Mohamoud, owns a fruits and vegetable company in eastern Hargeisa. Belonging to the extended Dholayare family, he has six siblings, almost all of whom reside abroad.