Abdirizak Haji Hussein

Abdirizak Haji Hussein (; ‎; 24 December 192431 January 2014) was a Somali diplomat and politician. He was the Prime Minister of Somali Republic from 14 June 1964 to 15 July 1967.

Hussein was an early member of the Somali Youth League (SYL), serving as its Secretary General during 1956. He came to play a leading role in the administration of the newly formed independent Somali Republic in the 1960s, eventually serving as Prime Minister from 1964 to 1967. During his tenure Hussein spearheaded reforms that strove to uproot corruption and pushed to make the republic's institutions more accountable.

After the 1969 Somali coup d'état that overthrew the civilian government, he was ordered imprisoned by the Supreme Revolutionary Council (SRC). Hussein was later freed and served as the ambassador to the United Nations for the Somali Democratic Republic during the 1970s.

Early life Hussein was born in 1924 in Galkayo, the capital of the north-central Mudug region of Somalia. His family hailed from the Majeerteen Harti Darod clan. He studied the Qur'an under his father, Hajji Hussein Atosh, who was an authority on Islam. During his formative years he worked as a camel herder. Hussein lost his mother at a young age.

In 1937 he travelled to Mogadishu, where he enrolled in school until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. He was married, and had two daughters and a son.

Career Early career During 1941, the colonial Italian Somaliland territory was toppled during the East African campaign and a British Military Administration (BMA) was set up in its place. From 1942 to 1949, Hussein served as an officer in the British Military Administration, including as an interpreter. He was also a clerk during the early periods of the Trust Territory of Somalia.

In 1944, Hussein joined the Somali Youth League. He subsequently became a Galkayo Councillor in 1954, during the nation's first municipal elections.

Death and legacy Hussein died of pneumonia on 31 January 2014 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, after being hospitalized for a week.

Prime Minister of Somalia Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed issued a statement a few hours later sending his condolences to Hussein's family and friends. Ahmed described Hussein as "one of the leading Somali nationalists of [the] 20th century," noting that the late statesman was "a leading member of the freedom fighters of [the] Somali Youth League and following independence became a committed public servant and politician who dedicated his life to the people and the Republic of Somalia[...] we must now take forward his legacy." Ahmed concurrently appointed a governmental committee to start preparations for a national funeral for Hussein, which would be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ridwan Hirsi Mohamed.

Additionally, the Federal Government of Somalia announced that national memorial days would be held in Mogadishu in Hussein's honour, with the late leader's body slated to be transported to the city for burial. Puntland President and former Prime Minister of Somalia Abdiweli Mohamed Ali was among the dignitaries scheduled to attend Hussein's funeral service in the capital.

After originally departing from Minneapolis, Hussein's body arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, where governmental officials awaited on 5 February 2014. The Somali National Funeral Committee announced that Hussein would be buried in Mogadishu's National Cemetery, with the official farewell event slated to start on Friday after the burial service. Three days of national mourning and the lowering of the flag would begin the same day.

On 7 February 2014, Hussein was laid to rest at a memorial service in Mogadishu Cemetery. The ceremony was attended by a number of dignitaries, including President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed, Parliament Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari, and Puntland President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, with security in the city concurrently bolstered. Janaza prayers were read at the capital's largest mosque, after which a burial service was held at the Al-Irfid cemetery on the outskirts of Mogadishu. Hussein was buried beside his former colleague, Aden Abdulle Osman Daar, the Somali Republic's first President. Incumbent President Mohamud sent his condolences to Hussein's family and the people of Somalia, and urged the gathered attendees to "pray for one of Somalia's greatest heroes[...] Abdirizak Haji Hussein was a great man and a towering Somali patriot[...] His life should be an example to all Somalis."

As a career politician, Hussein is remembered for his emphasis on responsible leadership. Most of his Cabinet members and director generals were educated, young and energetic professionals who had been selected on the basis of merit. During his tenure as Somalia's ambassador to the United Nations, Hussein also signed a number of international agreements on the country's behalf, including the International Convention on Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid. Openness, stability, fairness, anti-corruption and anti-nepotism, and good governance characterized his political career, particularly his tenure as Prime Minister.