Life-Friends of Awke’s talk about his illustrious career at the Microphone
The body of the late veteran Somali journalist, Ahmed Hassan Awke who died of natural causes in Jigjiga crossed over to Somaliland in Wajale on Tuesday morning.
Somaliland-born veteran Somali journalist, Ahmed Hassan Awke, was laid to rest at Wajaleh,Tuesday, where he was bid a stately farewell by the Somali/Somaliland media world, Somaliland government officials and a vast membership of the Somaliland, Somali-Ethiopian communities.
Somaliland government officials waited in Wajale where the body was escorted from Jigjija by officials of Somali regional administration in Ethiopia.
The Somaliland government representation was led by H.E. the VP, Abdirahman Abdullahi Ismail ‘Zeili’i’, and included the Minister for Information, Abdullahi M Dahir ‘Ukusse’.
News of Ahmed Hasan Awke’s death hit all Somalis with the same numbness and shock.
Awke who was widely known in Somali speaking territory was born and grew up in Wajale, a town that lies in the border between Ethiopia and Somaliland.
He started working as reporter for Radio Mogadishu in 1972 and had a stint as reporter for Somalia television during the military government.
He was appointed Siyad Barre’s special media spokesman until the collapse of the junta regime.
Ahmed’s resonant, rich voice became synonymous with and a symbol of Somali journalism at its peak. He joined the BBC Somali Service, the Somaliland National TV, VOA, Universal TV and Horn Cable TV since those days in Mogadishu came to a violent end with the deposal of Siyad Barre and the beginning of twenty-plus years of anarchy in that part of Somalia.
Condolences are pouring for the sudden death of the late Ahmed Hassan Awke.
Presidents of Somaliland, Ahmed M. Silanyo, Somalia President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Abdiweli Gass of Puntland and the president of Somali regional administration in Ethiopia, Abdi Mohamud Omar sent sincere condolences to the family of the late veteran journalist who passed away.
The late Ahmed died at the age of 73.
