Minn. Business Man Killed in Somalia

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Businessman Bashir Ahmed Abdi

MINNEAPOLIS - Family members confirmed with FOX 9 that a Minnesota businessman was murdered in his homeland of Somalia. Bashir Abdi left for Somalia two weeks ago to help the country establish a new government, but his noble efforts may have cost him his life.

Abdi was a lawyer in Somalia, and left for Mogadishu to help the new prime minister set up a provisional government. He was apparently killed Tuesday morning, just a few blocks from the presidential palace.

In Minnesota, he'd been the owner of several clothing stores at a Somali mall near 24th and Chicago Avenue, where news of his assassination spread quickly. Friends told FOX 9 Abdi was very concerned about his safety going back to Somalia, but was intrigued by the idea he could make a difference.

The new prime minister in Somalia is Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, an American Somali from Buffalo, New York. Somalia hasn't had a real government in 20 years.

Violence in Mogadishu from the Al Qaeda-linked group, Al-Shabab is an everyday occurrence. More than 2,000 civilians were killed in Mogadishu this year alone, most by indiscriminate shelling.

A few blocks around the presidential palace considered the only safe zone. The political context may also be important. In the last 48 hours, the prime minister's been trying to shrink the cabinet from 39 to 18 ministers. But many of the clans believe they're being excluded.

One militia commander even left the cabinet Tuesday, which further shrank the security zone around the presidential palace. Many of those clans are concerned about American influence in politics in Somalia, and some feared Abdi could have been seen as part of that American influence.

Source: Fox News