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I was in
Addis-Ababa Airport heading to Hargeysa, Somaliland, when I was told
that Ali Gualid has passed away due to car accident between Berbera and
Hargeysa road. Even though, the death is waiting for all of us and no
one can not escape from it, there is a Somali proverb that says, “The
death is ok with Camel Boy and someone you don’t know”.
I have known Ali Gualid for a long time which we were in California,
USA. Ali Gualid was a Certified Public Account (CPA), Banker,
Broadcaster, Activist and well-educator Somali Lander. Ali always puts
the interest of his country and his people before anything else with
passion, grace and conviction.
Ali Gualid sudden death is not alone to his family but it touches all
Somali Landers inside our country and in Diaspora. I am extremely lucky
to participate his funeral which I have not seen the magnitude which all
Somali Landers has given their respect with this great man.
Ali Gualid was composed with multiple talents: he was a visionary, man
of principal, Certified Public Accountant, great thinker, activist and a
man with a profound sense of history. He instructed to the proposition
that the history of the past must be a path to the future, that the
mistakes of the past should not be repeated again, but rather learned
from it and move the country forward not backward and that Somaliland
had no option but to reclaim its independence, that democracy is the
right ingredient for the country’s social and economic development, and
that democracy is the country’s flag-ship to international recognition
Ali Gualid was a man of vision; he was the first man who opened the
Waberi Radio in San Jose, California which he named, the voice of Somali
People. Ali was a podcaster and he always brings on his Radio many
issues that were very useful to our people. Ali never afraid of telling
the truth to everyone including the Somaliland elected officials. He was
always very articulate on his Articles and even on his Radio Podcasting
air time.
Ali Gualid has every thing that an individual will dream of, a decent
job with high pay, living in the United States of America, especially
the best state which is San Jose, California, but he chosen rather to
make useful and help his country and his people for his knowledge and
expertise without looking back a bit his own interest but rather his
countries ’interest.
For the first meeting of SOPRI in Los-Angeles, Ali Gualid has helped the
late founder of the Somaliland Policy and Reconstruction Institute (SOPRI).
He was a keynote speaker of that meeting and presented a great paper
that he laid out effectively the road-map of Somaliland and how to
achieve a quick recognition with a clear vision and to promote
international recognition for Somaliland.
It is very difficult to put a scale on Ali’s contribution in the quest
for development of democracy and Somaliland recognition, but there is no
doubt in my mind that he assisted and ignited the recognition cause and
effort, which was not active before his effort. Ali was always so busy
not to leave the job solely to the government but that the Diaspora
educators should be actively involved too and, as Ali had demonstrated,
they could give back something to their country of origin not the
country that someone took their residency or citizenship.
Ali was a dreamer, a visionary, loyal to his country, his party and a
doer. And so we all Asked Allah to forgive him and enter his paradise.
Ali has played a major role for supporting his party agendas and his
country progress. The level of his involvement was evident by the amount
of time he spent in the preparatory work. During the last presidential
elections, those of us in the Diaspora remained in regular contact and
he was always very keen when it comes on fair elections and fair voting
registrations. Recently, Ali was appointed by his Party to the Chairman
of the up-coming Presidential elections on the Western Regions of
Somaliland and he was the right person for that job. Now he is gone, the
Party and the country will have a vacuum that needs to be resumed.
May Allah put his soul rest and peace and wash with cold water and enter
his paradise.
Dr. Mohamed Osman Nur
Hargeysa, Somaliland.
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