Hiiraan Online
Thursday August 2, 2018
Mohamed Mohamud Sheikh Ali was gunned down in Mogadishu on Thursday. There have been no arrests in the murder. FILE PHOTO
Mogadishu (HOL) - Unidentified gunmen have shot dead a young Somali businessman in Mogadishu on Thursday, according to confirmed reports from family members and security forces.
Witnesses told Hiiraan Online that Mohamed Mohamud Sheikh Ali was ambushed by gunmen near the Spaghetti House as he travelled town Banadir towards Digfeer. He suffered life-threatening wounds and was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Mohamed is the son of General Mohamud Sheikh Ali (Dable Pilot), a Somali National Air Force (SNAF) commander and former Somali Airlines Captain.
Mohamed was described by his friends as the ‘face of young entrepreneurs’ in Somalia. He took an extraordinary leap of faith in 2012 when he founded a successful premium laundry service in the nation’s capital after nearly a quarter century of civil war and strife. He has also founded Amber Gardens and Florists, reputed to be the only flower shop in Mogadishu.
However, arguably his most lasting legacy is starting the Mogadishu chapter of Start-Up Grind, a Google-sponsored global independent startup community that nurture’s startups in 150 countries. Since the chapter began in 2015, the group has held over a dozen events that educate, connect and inspire local entrepreneurs.
Condolences from fellow businessmen, government officials and friends poured in from around the world.
No arrests have been made in connection with the murder and there have been no claims of responsibility.
In the past, Mogadishu has seen countless of businessmen who have been gunned down in cold blood. Although the militant extremist group Al-Shabaab has been known to be behind some of the attacks, an alarming number of the killings are unsolved and are believed to be at the hands of unscrupulous businessmen who employ the same methods as terrorists and warlords to intimidate competition and turn a profit.