Friday October 9, 2020
JIGJIGA (HOL) - Former Somali Prime Minister Ali Khalif Galaydh who died Thursday was
killed by COVID19 becoming the second ex-premier to succumb to the
disease.
He becomes the second former Somali Prime Minister to die of COVID19 following the death of another ex-pm Nur Hassan Hussein in similar circumstance in April
The Deputy Minister of Health in Ethiopia’s Somali State Mukhtar Yusuf has confirmed that the former leader died of the novel COVID19 which was not detected before his death.
The infection was confirmed following an autopsy, the minister said.
According to sources, Galaydh was admitted to hospital late September complaining of breathing difficulties.
The former PM is reported to have travelled to Jigjiga recently.
Galaid served in the first post civil war government as Prime Minister but for one year between October 2000 to the same time the following year.
He was an accomplished academic with a teaching career in a number of universities in the U.S.
He becomes the second former premier to die of COVID19. Nur Hassan Hussein who became prime minister between November 2007 and February 2009 died of COVID19 in April 1 in London. He was 79.
Meanwhile the government has announced the departed leader will be accorded a state send-off in Mogadishu.