Legendary Somali poet dies at 79: Somalis pay tribute

Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame aka Hadraawi is considered one of the greatest Somali poets of the modern era

A legendary Somali poet Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame, better known as Hadraawi, died on Thursday in Hargeisa at the age of 79.

Mournful Somalis, including prominent political figures, outpoured their condolences on social media.

Paying his tribute to Hadraawi, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said in a Twitter post that “a scholar and a leading authority of the Somali language has passed on.”

Former Minister of Planning, Investment, and Economic Development, Abdirahman Aynte, described the iconic poet as “a moral authority whose didactic poetry has shaped an entire generation”.

Hadraawi passed on following a long battle with illness in recent years.