Last independence parliamentarian dies and suddenly Somalia feels older, smaller, and a little more alone. Haji Ali Mohamed Hirabe, the very last man who sat in that historic parliament of July 1, 1960, left this world at 99, taking with him the living memory of the day the blue flag first flew free. Last independence parliamentarian dies and the whole country stops, because this wasn’t just a funeral, it was the end of an era.
From Village Boy to Nation Builder
Haji Ali grew up herding goats south of Mogadishu, barefoot under the sun, listening to elders dream out loud about freedom. By the 1940s he was already sneaking pamphlets for the Somali Youth League, heart racing every time Italian police walked past. When the first local councils opened in 1950 he jumped in, learned how laws are made, how words can push out empires. By 1956 he was elected, by 1960 he was there in the chamber when north and south shook hands and became one Somalia. Last independence parliamentarian dies and those moments now live only in books and fading photos.
The Day Somalia Became Whole
July 1, 1960. Streets on fire with joy. Kids climbing trees to see better. Women ululating so loud the sky shook. Haji Ali stood with 122 other men, some in suits, some in macawiis, all sweating from heat and excitement. They voted on the flag, the anthem, the name. When the president spoke “Somalia is free” grown men cried like babies. Haji Ali told his kids years later he felt the ground move under his feet that day. Last independence parliamentarian dies and nobody left alive felt that ground move the same way.
He Never Stopped Serving
Two terms in parliament. Pushed for village schools, clean wells, land for poor farmers. Quit politics before the 1969 coup because he saw the storm coming. Went home, planted mango trees, raised honest children. When war tore everything apart in 1991 he opened his house to neighbors from every clan. During the famine he sold his car to buy food for strangers. Even at 90 he was on radio telling warlords “stop killing the dream we started.” Last independence parliamentarian dies and the quiet heroes go with him.
The Funeral That United a Divided Country
Monday morning the news broke. By noon Mogadishu shut down. President, ministers, ex-warlords, clan elders, school kids, everyone came. The coffin was simple wood wrapped in the light-blue flag. Thousands walked behind it, no pushing, no shouting, just tears and prayers. Puntland sent a plane full of elders. Somaliland leaders crossed the border. For one day clans forgot their fights. They buried him near the beach as the sun turned orange and the call to prayer mixed with the old independence song. Last independence parliamentarian dies and somehow brings people together one final time.
What We Just Lost Forever
Kids today learn 1960 from TikTok clips and textbooks. Haji Ali was the man who could say “I was there, I touched the flag when it was new, I heard the cheers.” That voice is gone now. The last person who remembered freedom when it was fresh, when it still smelled like hope. Last independence parliamentarian dies and we realize history just became black and white instead of living color.
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The Grandson’s Promise
His grandson stood by the grave and told reporters: “He left us homework. He said make Somalia proud again, not with guns but with schools and justice.” The boy is 22, studies engineering, wants to build bridges instead of walls. Maybe that’s the point. Last independence parliamentarian dies but plants seeds that keep growing.
Last independence parliamentarian dies
Somalia remains a young nation, vibrant, restless, and often chaotic, home to aspiring rappers, tech entrepreneurs, and a new generation of young women determined to become pilots and leaders. Yet, for one solemn moment this week, the entire country paused in collective reflection. Citizens looked back at the journey since independence, acknowledging both the significant progress made and the considerable challenges that lie ahead. In that pause, they honored an elderly statesman in his simple white cap (a man who never abandoned the vision of a united Somalia, even as the nation endured repeated heartbreak and division over the decades)
Rest easy, Haji Ali. You carried the torch longer than anyone. Now it’s our turn to run with it.
Last independence parliamentarian dies, but the story he started is still being written, one brave Somali at a time.
