A Legacy of Light: In Tribute to Ugaas Abdullahi Ugaas Farah
A Dedicated Public Servant, Devoted Muslim, A Beacon of Peace, and a Leader on a Mission
By Abukar Albadri
In the vast tapestry of Somalia’s modern journey—scarred by conflict yet stitched with resilience—few names radiate the quiet brilliance, moral authority, and spiritual grace of Ugaas Abdullahi Ugaas Farah. His was a life not lived in pursuit of recognition, but in unwavering service to the people, to peace, and to principle. In an era plagued by moral bankruptcy and political betrayal, he remained a pillar—unmoved, unbent, unbroken, valuable for the people.
Born in 1937 in the heart of Somalia, he was more than an heir to a noble lineage—he was its living embodiment. When he assumed the realm of Ugaas in 1994 following the death of his elder brother, Ugaas Mohamud Ugaas Farah, he became the fifth to ascend the throne of the Reer Haji Suleyman —a sacred trust passed down from their forefather, the venerable Ugaas Guuleed. But he did not wear this crown in vanity; he wore it as a burden and as a beacon.
Leadership for him was not a status—but a task. As war fractured the Somali nation, Ugaas Abdullahi chose the path of peace. As many others entrenched themselves in division and conflict, he chose to build bridges. As governance collapsed, he quietly constructed the moral scaffolding of reconciliation—brick by brick, dialogue by dialogue and step by step, he made peace in many communities.
For over thirty years, he journeyed across the plains and towns of Central Somalia, his voice the language of calm, his presence a balm to the aggrieved. At a time when elders were reduced to token figures, he restored their voice, anchoring traditional leadership in the service of national healing.
When Somalia reimagined its nationhood in the early 2000s, Ugaas Abdullahi emerged as one of the chief architects of legitimacy. In the elections of 2012 and 2016, his hand was steady among the Council of 135 Traditional Elders, whose endorsement gave Somalia its constitutional path. He bestowed that process not just a name, but legitimacy—his wisdom transcending clan boundaries.
Yet what made him most revered was not power—but restraint. Not influence—but integrity. While many leaders shielded clan agendas under the cloak of tradition, Ugaas Abdullahi stood unwavering for truth—even when it was uncomfortable. He defied the corruption of politics with the ethics of the faith. He rejected revenge in favor of reconciliation.
I am honoured to be one of those who met him many times in life, and I can describe him as a real traditional leader, yes—but also a moral philosopher, a silent statesman, and an uncompromising servant of peace.
His impact was not rhetorical—it was practical. He personally brokered dozens of peace agreements among once-warring clans. His blessing meant something, his handshake sealed peace. He made conflict unfashionable and dialogue honourable. His voice was the final word in many disputes—not because he demanded obedience, but because he had earned reverence.
Behind the title of Ugaas was a man of immense humility. Those who met him recall his simplicity—how he would sit on the ground, how he would pause to listen even to the youngest among them. When I visited him in his house in Djibouti many times, his home was a sanctuary for the needy, a council for the confused, and a university for those seeking wisdom. His laughter was soft, his prayers constant, and his discipline anchored in faith.
His death in May 2025 at the age of 88 is not just a loss to his family or clan—it is a loss to Somalia, to traditional leadership, and to integrity. As the news broke, mosques filled with grief-stricken faithful praying for him. Social media flooded with condolences. Statesmen, scholars, youth, and elders—Somalis of all walks—mourned a figure who felt like the nation’s moral compass. In a time of confusion, he had been the clarity. In a time of cynicism, he had been conviction.
But death is not the end for a man of such light. It is merely the turning of the page. And his next chapter will be written not in ink—but in inspiration. His life is a manual for leadership: calm in conflict, honest in power, generous in hardship, and unshaken in principle. Where others demanded obedience, he invited consensus. Where others profited, he served.
On behalf of my family, and with the heaviest of hearts, I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Ugaas Abdullahi, to the proud Reer Haji Suleyman, and to the Somali nation at large. We did not just lose a leader—we lost a moral compass, a bridge between worlds, a sanctuary in human form.
May Allah (SWT) reward Ugaas Abdullahi Ugaas Farah for every step he took toward peace, every tear he dried in sorrow, and every truth he spoke in courage. May his grave be illuminated and spacious, a place of rest and mercy. May it be a serene garden of waiting—a cool breeze under the shade of divine approval. Aamiin.
Abukar is a Journalist and Author