A Tribute to Abdirahman Adan Mohamoud

Who Was Abdirahman?

Abdirahman Adan Mohamoud was born in the city of Borama in 1973. He attended Sh. Abdirahman Sh. Nuur Qaadi Primary School. While in school, he was one of the survivors of Ethiopia’s cold-blooded massacre, where the school was bombed in 1984, leaving scores of children dead or wounded. After completing his primary school studies, he did not continue his education due to the destruction of the Somali nation in 1991.

A few years later, he successfully graduated from a secondary school despite many challenges, mainly the lack of an effective education system. In 1997, Abdirahman was one of the first students admitted to the newly formed Amoud University, which only offered two faculties: the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Business Administration. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration years later. He also received Masters Degree in DS from Kampala International University in 2013.

Working Life

Abdirahman Adan Mohamoud started working at the young age of thirteen in his family’s business. He often mentioned that he learned a lot about work discipline there. He also worked as a typist before he joined the university. During his time at Amoud University, he was a part-time teacher at Al-Aqsa Primary School.

After his graduation from the university, he became the manager of Ray’s Hotel. In 2006, he became a project assistant at the UN Habitat Hargeisa office. Due to his qualifications, he was promoted to project officer and later became the team leader of the JPLG project, implemented by five international organizations. Meanwhile, he was the head of the UN-HABITAT Somaliland office. In recent years, he was based in Nairobi, Kenya, working as a program manager for developing local municipalities in Somalia.

His Writings

Abdirahman Adan Mohamoud was a creative writer and started publishing articles in both English and Somali back in 2000 while he was still a student. He continued to publish articles and short stories in newspapers, magazines, and websites. In 2014, he published his first novel, “Laba Kala Leexday” (The Diverged Duo), in Somali. It was about two young men who took different paths in life, with one becoming successful and the other failing.I, Hamze Yasin, the writer, still remember how my mother was interested in reading this book; I saw her thinking and sometimes laughing about the scenes in the book. His other book, “Dan iyo Dareen” (Need and Sense), was released in 2021. It was a collection of short stories and essays, all addressing essential aspects of life.

Death

Only a week ago, I saw a post on Facebook where someone was begging for prayers as Abdirahman Adan Mohamoud had suddenly fallen ill. Many people prayed for his immediate recovery. Sadly, on June 24th, it was announced that he had passed away at the age of 51 in Nairobi, Kenya. He was buried in a place a few kilometers away from Borama. Thousands attended his burial. Abdirahman’s death touched a large number of people, as he was a symbol of goodness.

What Was Said About Him

Thousands of people said and wrote about Abdirahman as they also extended their condolences to his family and friends. Some of them are as follows:

Abdirasak Haji Atosh, a renowned long time BBC journalist said,”Abdirahman was my neighbor for a long time, and he was very good in Islamic religion, especially praying. He was also polite and calm. I am extending my condolences to his family.”

Dr. Abdisalam Hassan Muse, PhD holder and a long time friend of Abdirahman said, “The heart is weeping for the death of Abdirahman Adan Mohamoud. He was truly unique, with characteristics of a good person that are unmatched. I bear witness before Allah that he was undoubtedly a good person. May Allah reward him with the highest paradise, Firdaws.”

Abdikarim Mooge, mayor of Hargeisa said, “He was really a man with a great personality. On behalf of the Somaliland organization for municipalities, we are sending our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and the whole community in the country. His contributions will forever be remembered.”

Conclusion

It is not possible to write only a piece of writing about how great Abdirahman Adan Mohamoud was. I hope that Allah will reward him the highest paradise, Jannatul Firdaws.

Hamza Yassin