Former Somalia PM dies of COVID-19 in London at 83

Nur Hassan Hussein, Somalia’s ex-Prime Minister has passed away at 83 after contracting coronavirus.

He was said to have died at a London hospital on Wednesday after suffering complications from the killer virus.

The 83-year-old popularly called ‘Nur Adde,’ served as the country’s Prime Minister from November 2007 to February 2009.

Born 16 February 1937, Hussein served as a police officer before venturing into politics and would eventually become a trained lawyer at Somalia National University and the Fiscal Law School in Rome.

Hussein’s political journey became more glaring in 1987, during the administration of President Siad Barre, when he was appointed attorney general of the Federation in. Siad was however, overthrown in 1991.

On 22 November 2007, the then President of Somalia, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, nominated Hussein as Prime Minister of the Transitional Federal Government following the earlier resignation of Ali Mohammed Ghedi on 29 October, same year. .

Hussein was appointed Prime Minister after heading the Somali Red Crescent Society during the country’s Civil War.