First president dies at age of 99

(SomaliNet) First president of Somalia Aden Abdulle Osman known as ‘Aden Adde’ has died in Nairobi, Kenya on late Friday at the age of 99. He had been bed ridden for long time later gone in coma in a hospital in Nairobi and died yesterday afternoon.

Mr. Aden Adde, a well-respected leader was elected head of state when the former British and Italian Somali colonies joined to form the Republic of Somalia in 1960.

He was the first president of Somalia after the independence in 1960 and became the first African leader to voluntarily relinquish his post after he lost the 1967 presidential election.

Somalia’s current president Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed and his premier Ali Gedi sent a message of condolences to all Somalis and the family of late president Aden Adde.

The body of Mr. Aden Adde will be flown to Somalia where his funeral will take in the next few days.

The vice president of the self-breakaway republic of Somaliland in northwest Somalia Ahmed Yusuf Yasin also his message of condolence to the family of Aden Osman.

<i>By Mohamed Abdi Farah</i>