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May the Lord Bless his Soul!

 

My kind of man -

A true son of Somali – No doubt our people could do with more like him!

 

ABDIRAHMAN AHMED ALI’S OBITUARY

 

The death of Mr. Abdirahman Ahmed Ali (Tuur) in London on Saturday, November 8th 2003, is a shocking loss for his family, friends, and colleagues and for the whole of the Somali nation.

 

Abdirahman was born in Hargeisa in 1931. He was one of the top 3 students that graduated from the first Intermediate School in Somaliland Protectorate and was given a scholarship to Sudan in 1948 to study in the famous Hantoob secondary School. In Hantoob he met and befriended with some of the future Sudanese leaders like Ja’afar Al-Numeiri, Sadeq Al-Mahadi and Hassan Al-Turaabi. Abdirahman excelled both in sports (especially football and track) and in academic studies. He got another scholarship and did his university education at Exeter University (UK) where he did his specialisation in administration.

 

After successfully completing his scholarship in the UK Abdirahman returned and started his career as an Administrative Officer in Borama in 1956 and was elevated to the position of District Commissioner (DC) 3 years later (1959). In 1961 he became Governor of the Eastern Region (Burao) and then in 1964 the Governor of Western Region (Hargeisa). In that same year he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he was appointed in the following diplomatic posts:

 

Country Date Postion

Sudan 1964-1968 and 1970-1971 Ambassador

Ethiopia 1972-1977 Ambassador

East Germany 1978-1981 Ambassador

UAE 1982-1983 Ambassador

 

He was given a political asylum in the UK in 1985 where he assumed a leading role in the Somali National Movement’s (SNM) struggle against Siyad Barre’s government. His knowledge of diplomacy soon proved indispensable for the movement and isolating Siyad Barres’ government and rendering it a pariah state in the international scene was underway. Abdirahman was the last elected Chairman of the SNM and was instrumental in precipitating the downfall of Siyad Barre’s regime. After Somaliland was liberated he became the first President of the self-declared Somaliland Republic 1991-93.

 

Abdirahman Ahmed was known as one of the shrewdest and most patriotic Somali politician of his age. His role in the 1977-78 war, against Ethiopia, earned him the Medal of Hawl Dagaal Hawlkarnimo. The Sudanese people, who considered him as one of them, endowed on him the highest honour by bestowing him the Medal of the Al-Nileyn. Abdirahman provided essential political and material support to the Eritrean liberation movements like the ELF and EPLF during their liberation struggle against Ethiopia. Indeed he was a visionary and Pan-Africanist.

 

Another side of Abdirahman that people knew very little about was his love and admiration of the Somali poetry where he had collections including masterpieces from Mohamed Abulle Hassan, Qamaan Bulhan, Ali-Dhuuh, Salaan-Arabay and others. He was also a keen listener of traditional Somali music (Qraami) and their history.

 

Abdirahman was someone of exceptional ability and integrity. He was renown for determination and perseverance as much as his tenacity. He was pragmatist and avoided ostentatious and rhetorical posture politics, something that has become the hallmark of most present Somali politicians, to the detriment of dialogue, reconciliation and peace. Abdirahman promoted consensus politics rather than confrontation and strived towards a united Somalia under a federal arrangement. No doubt Abdirahman will be greatly missed for he was a rare breed of politician and, like they say, a man who we will never see his like again.

 

May Allah rest him in peace, amen

Written by Adam Ismail Hassan

SNM Representative

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Mowgli   

Asalaama Alaikum

 

Allahu na naxariisto...I just found out today he was a blood relative of mine...it's a small world I guess. Samiir iyo imaan to the rest of his family...

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Ibtilo   

God rest his soul he was a good man that fought off the our killers.

 

Worrior cant you just wish the man a good life in the here after without bring politics into it.

 

What a shame, let him be.

 

He was the one that kicked your kind out.

 

God bless him.

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inaa lilaahi wa inaa ileyhi raajicuun.

my God bless the soul of abdirahman ahmed ali.

and samir iyo iiman ilaah hakasiiyo aheladii iyo qaraabdii u katagayba.

we will however post an article about SNM and their political ideology to divide somali.purchasing the suport of ethiopia at the expense of somali destruction.we can't forget their role in somali politics.that will be later in shaa'alahu.but at the moment we all share grieve with his famliy and freinds.

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LANDER   

A truly remarkable legacy indeed, his achievements clearly outweighted his failures.

It's unfortunate some members felt compeled to make political statements maybe in hopes of getting a rebutle. Ilahey ha u naxaaristo.

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