Photograph — gettyimages.com

On Wednesday, April 1, 2020, The family of Somali former Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein confirmed his death in King’s College Hospital London where he was receiving treatment for coronavirus. 

Popularly known as Nur Adde, The former prime minister who served between November 2007 to February 2009 in the transitional government of Somalia died at the age of 83. The current Somali Prime Minister, Hassan Khaire, who mourned the death of Hussein said: “My deepest condolences to the people of Somalia and to the family of former Prime Minister who died in London.” In a statement, Khaire added, “I pray to Allah to let his soul rest in peace.” 

Similarly, Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo later on Wednesday said: “Recognizing the efforts made by the deceased for his country and his people, I hereby declare three days of national mourning.”Abdullahi Farmajo also declared that the lowering of Somalia’s flag to half-mast will be done “to give Prime Minister Nur Adde the respect he deserves.”

Born in Mogadishu in 1937 when the southern part of the country was under Italian rule, Hussein was educated in the city before joining the police force in 1960. While serving in the Somali police department, he rose to the rank of colonel during the government of Mohamed Siyad Barre. After leaving the force, he worked as the secretary-general of Somali Red Crescent for 17 years and served as Somalia’s ambassador in Italy.

During his term as Prime Minister, he was credited for leading peace talks between the Ethiopia-backed government and Eritrea-based rebels. The talks held in Djibouti led to the formation of a unity government in which the leader of the rebels, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, was elected as Somalia’s president on January 30, 2009. 

In a statement released by his family, Nur Adde had been receiving treatment in London for the past two weeks after he was tested positive for coronavirus. Nur Adde’s family announced that he will be laid to rest in Britain according to the traditional Islamic burial.

Reacting to his death, several Somalis took to social media with condolences.  Adam Aw Hirsi, a former politician who worked under Nur Adde said he was “deeply saddened by the loss that Somalis as a nation and [the] Hussein’s as a family have encountered.” Hirsi described Hussein as the “most laid-back yet the most decisive.”

Similarly, Abdihakim Ainte, a Somali fellow at Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, tweeted “Hard to absorb this, but Nur Adde was one of the greatest prime ministers in Somalia, who influenced so many of us and laid the earlier stones for the current system.”

Members of the Somali communities in Britain and in Sweden have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Community leaders have blamed lack of awareness, crowded housing and a close-knit community for spreading the ailment. Fourteen Somalis in Britain (including a 13-year-old boy) and six in Sweden have died of the infection. 

In Somalia however, there are five reported cases of COVID-19 with no deaths. To aid Somalia’s efforts in containing and curbing further spread of the virus, the United Nations appealed to the country’s government and rebels. “Everyone in Somalia should come together in this fight against the pandemic by calling for an immediate global ceasefire,” UN said. By doing so, “all resources and support can be channeled to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The United States Government also announced on Thursday, April 2 that it will provide about  $7 million to help Somalia deal with the COVID-19 outbreak, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

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