Unlike Asmara in Eritrea and Tripoli in Libya, where the Italians built their colonial city alongside the native walled town, in Mogadishu the walls of the old medina were torn down and the occupiers’ buildings imposed in the city centre.....Another prominent building of the period is Villa Somalia, an Art Deco palace which served as the residence of the Italian governor.....it is still in good condition today, thanks to the fact that it remained the seat of whoever was internationally recognised as the leader of Somalia, with all the security that entailed.

[5] Following a dispute between Aidids forces during June 2003, a heavy weapon was discharged on the Villa's grounds resulting in one of the largest explosions in the capital since 1991.

[6] In his role as Minister of the Interior of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), Aidid made a public visit to the Villa in August 2005.

[9] During the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed of the Transitional Federal Government entered Mogadishu for the first time on 8 January 2007.

In his address, President Mohamud encouraged the newly-appointed Chief of Staff Villa Somalia to serve with unwavering dedication and efficiency.

It’s worth noting that Hussein Sheikh Mohamud, the prior chief of staff, resigned in May but only made his departure public this week.