Thursday December 21, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, along with heads of state and other prominent politicians, attended the funeral prayer for the late Somali Minister of Women, Khadija Mohamed Diriye, in Mogadishu on Thursday.
Prime Minister Hamsa Abdi Barre, ministers, members of parliament, and other officials from the Federal Republic of Somalia and the Republic of Djibouti brought the body to Mogadishu airport, where the funeral prayer took place. The President of the Republic of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, escorted a delegation to Djibouti airport.
The longest-serving woman in Somali politics, Khadijo Mohamed Diriye, passed away in Djibouti on Wednesday afternoon after a brief illness. She had been in the male-dominated field of politics for nearly three decades.
She was part of the Prime Minister's delegation that attended the Heritage Forum in Djibouti. Deputy Information Minister Abdirahman Yusuf al-Adalah said Minister Khadija was admitted to the hospital while attending a conference with government officials in Djibouti. She subsequently underwent surgery, in which she did not wake up from the coma.
Prime Minister Barre characterized the late minister as a dedicated advocate for the re-establishment of the Somali government, noting her significant role in the historic meeting of Arta in Djibouti, where Somalia regained its sovereignty.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud echoed these sentiments, emphasizing Khadijo's pivotal role in rebuilding the 3rd Republic of Somalia. She became one of the first parliamentarians after the collapse and remained a member of the People's Assembly ever since.