Famed Somali peace activist dies at 72

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - Somalia's best-known peace activist Abdullahi Mohamed Shirwa died in the country's capital Mogadishu earlier Sunday, officials said. He was 72.

Tributes pour in the wake of Shirwa's death after illness as Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble were among the leaders who extended their condolences and praised his dedication to public service, calling it a "big loss" for the Horn of Africa country.

Shirwa had been very active in search for peace support for the people affected by wars and droughts in the last three decades.

"I ask Allah for patience and faith for his family and the people of Somalia he left behind," Roble said in a statement.

"Shirwa was an active member of civil society, devoting his time and mind to promoting peace and mobilizing the community in response to emergencies," he added.

In the wake of Somalia's deadliest truck bombing in Mogadishu in 2017 that killed over 300 people, Shirwa led a team that collected $4.4M for the victims of the explosion, helping thousands of the blast victims, including 1,547 orphans.