Thursday August 17, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abid Barre, Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama, and former Deputy Prime Minister MP Mahdi Mohamed Guled have collectively condemned the tragic killing of the prominent Somali poet and composer Jama Kediye Elmi, who was among several people killed in a Somaliland mortar attack on Las Anod town on Wednesday afternoon.
Prime Minister Barre expressed that the deceased was not only a composer and traditionalist but also played an integral role in Somali literature and had esteemed in the Somali community.
The leading politicians from northern regions in the Federal Government, including Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama and former Deputy Prime Minister MP Mahdi Mohamed Guled, described the poet's death as a heinous crime. They emphasized the need to hold those responsible for the indiscriminate bombardment accountable.
MP Mahdi Guleed asserted that President Muse Bihi's administration should be held accountable for the indiscriminate bombing in the town. The killing of Poet Jama Kediye has incited outrage among the Somali people, with Somaliland not issuing any comments regarding its recent strikes in the city.
Last night, the Supreme Council of SSC-Khaatumo also denounced the Somaliland mortar attacks in Las Anod, killing poet Jama Kadiye Elmi and the Sunday's mortar attack killed nine people, including Amir Jama Mohammad Digaale, a well-respected elder in the SSC regions.
Jama Kadiye Elmi was widely recognized as one of the greatest Somali poets ever. Throughout his lifetime, he crafted literature resonating across various life aspects.
Born in Las Anod, Elmi initially showcased his poems on Radio Hargeisa and Radio Mogadishu as he embarked on his career. The poet gained significant fame in the 1970s during the Ethiopia-Somalia war, using his songs and verses to uplift and inspire Somali troops.