Mogadishu, Somalia – Somali boxing star Ramla Ali has officially reclaimed her national identity after receiving her Somali national ID card in Mogadishu—three decades after fleeing the country as a child.
Ali, who escaped Somalia with her family at the age of three due to civil war, returned this week to register at the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) headquarters in Mogadishu. Her card was issued on the spot, making her one of the most prominent public figures to obtain the new national ID under Somalia’s ongoing digital identification rollout.
The government has increasingly linked access to public services with the new national ID system as part of wider reforms aimed at improving governance and security. Ali’s enrollment is expected to boost public confidence in the program and encourage diaspora participation.
Ramla made history as the first athlete to represent Somalia in boxing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and became the first Somali woman to compete professionally in the sport. Now a global icon based in the United States, she has earned recognition not just for her sporting achievements but also for her advocacy for women and refugees.
Her return to Somalia was marked by a hero’s welcome and an official national honour bestowed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. She pledged to contribute to Somalia’s rebuilding efforts and inspire young people—especially girls—to pursue their dreams.
With a national ID finally in hand, Ramla’s homecoming has become more than symbolic—it marks a full-circle moment of belonging, pride, and renewed commitment to the nation she never stopped representing.