Somali independence leader Ali ‘Hagarey’ dies in Canada at 100

Wednesday December 3, 2025

Ali Mohamed Hirabe, known as “Ali Hagarey,” Somalia’s first information minister and a senior figure in the Somali Youth League, is seen in an undated portrait. Hirabe died Monday in Canada at age 100. (Supplied)

Mogadishu (HOL) — Ali Mohamed Hirabe, a leading independence-era politician and Somalia’s first Minister of Information, died Monday in Canada at the age of 100, officials said.

Somalia’s Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Daud Aweis, confirmed the death and described Hirabe, widely known as Ali Hagarey, as a national figure whose service shaped Somalia’s early government and media institutions.

“May God have mercy on the late Ali Mohamed Hirabe, one of the leaders of the SYL who served as a minister in several roles,” Aweis said. “His passing affects the entire Somali nation given his significant contributions, and I extend condolences to the Somali people, especially his children and family.”

Born in the coastal town of Adale in Middle Shabelle, Hirabe pursued formal education before joining the anti-colonial movement. His life mirrored Somalia’s modern political journey, from the struggle for independence to the challenges of state building.

Hirabe was a senior member of the Somali Youth League, the political movement that led the push toward self-rule during the UN Trusteeship period. As SYL Secretary-General, he helped guide the party’s strategy in the years leading to independence.

In the 1950s, he joined Abdullahi Issa Mahmoud at the United Nations General Assembly, where they pressed for a clear timeline for Somalia’s independence. The delegation’s work strengthened international support for sovereignty ahead of 1960.

After independence, Hirabe became the first Minister of Information in the civilian administration of Prime Minister Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke. He oversaw the creation of the national press and early broadcast services, laying the foundation for Somalia’s state media.

One of the key milestones of his tenure was signing Somalia’s first media cooperation agreement with the People’s Republic of China. The memorandum expanded technical support for radio operations and signaled Somalia’s effort to build broader diplomatic partnerships.

Hirabe remained active in public life throughout the 1960s, serving as Minister of State in 1967 and maintaining his parliamentary seat until the 1969 military coup.

After the collapse of Somalia’s central government in 1991, Hirabe relocated to Canada. He continued to follow Somali politics closely and often emphasized national unity and the preservation of the country’s independence-era history.

He is survived by his children and extended family.