Ali ‘Hagarey’ Hirabe, Pioneering Somali Information Minister, Dies at 100

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Ali Mohamed Hirabe, one of Somalia’s most prominent independence-era politicians and the country’s first Minister of Information, has died at the age of 100.

Hirabe, widely known as Ali Hagarey, was among the last surviving members of the generation that led Somalia from UN trusteeship to independence in 1960. He died in Canada, where he had lived since the collapse of Somalia’s central government in 1991.

Information Minister Daud Aweis confirmed his passing, describing him as “one of the leaders of the Somali Youth League” whose contributions shaped the nation’s political foundations.

“His passing affects the entire Somali nation given his significant role in our country’s history,” Aweis said, offering condolences to Hirabe’s family and the wider public.

Born in the coastal town of Adale in Middle Shabelle, Hirabe joined the Somali Youth League early in the anti-colonial movement and later became its Secretary-General. During the UN Trusteeship period, he accompanied foreign minister Abdullahi Issa to the United Nations General Assembly to campaign for Somalia’s independence timetable.

After independence, Hirabe was appointed Minister of Information in Prime Minister Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke’s first civilian government. He helped build the country’s national press and broadcasting institutions and signed Somalia’s first media cooperation agreement with the People’s Republic of China.

He remained active in politics throughout the 1960s, serving as a Minister of State and as a member of parliament until the military takeover in 1969.

Even after relocating to Canada, Hirabe remained a respected voice within Somali political circles, advocating for unity and the preservation of the country’s historical record.

He is survived by his children and extended family.