Ahmed Hassan Awke (1943 16 November 2015) () () was a veteran Somali journalist, who spent most of his life in the media industry. Awke is often considered to be one of the best Somali journalists because of his very linguistic eloquence, and was often used as a favorite commentator. He served as a special reporter for
Somalia
Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...
's late president
Siad Barre
Mohammed Siad Barre (, Osmanya script: , ''Muhammad Ziād Barīy''; 6 October 1919 – 2 January 1995) was a Somali military officer, politician, and revolutionary who served as the third president of Somalia from 21 October 1969 to 26 Janu ...
until it collapsed in 1991. He hailed from the Jibril Abokor, a
Sa'ad Musa sub-division of the
Habr Awal Isaaq
The Isaaq (, , ''Banu Ishaq'') is a major Somali clans, Somali clan. It is one of the largest Somali clan families in the Horn of Africa, with a large and densely populated traditional territory.
The Isaaq people claim in a traditional legend ...
clan that predominately inhabits the
Gabiley region.
Early life
Ahmed Hassan Awke was born in the border town of Tog-Wajale in 1943.
His father Hassan Awke was a well-known businessman in
Somaliland
Somaliland, officially the Republic of Somaliland, is an List of states with limited recognition, unrecognised country in the Horn of Africa. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden and bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, E ...
.
As a child, he grew up in Tog-Wajale, but after completing Qur'anic education at a madrasa he moved to the town of Adadley, where he completed his primary and secondary school education.
He graduated from higher education in
Berbera
Berbera (; , ) is the capital of the Sahil, Somaliland, Sahil region of Somaliland and is the main sea port of the country, located approximately 160 km from the national capital, Hargeisa. Berbera is a coastal city and was the former capital of t ...
in 1971, where he taught for a year as a teacher.
Career
Awke began his career at
Radio Mogadishu in 1972, and then become a reporter at
Somali National Television in 1983.
In 1996, he joined the
BBC Somali and then moved to
VOA Somali in 2007. He also worked with
Horn Cable TV,
Universal TV and
Somaliland National TV,
Somaliland
Somaliland, officially the Republic of Somaliland, is an List of states with limited recognition, unrecognised country in the Horn of Africa. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden and bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, E ...
's state-run television channel.
The former president of Somalia
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (Somali language, Somali: ''Xasan Sheekh Maxamuud''; ; born 29 November 1955) is a Somali politician serving as the president of Somalia since 15 May 2022. He previously held the office from 2012 to 2017.
Hassan was previo ...
said that Awke has made a significant contribution to the history of Somalia.
Death
He died on 17 November 2015 in
Jijiga,
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
. He was buried the next day in
Tog-Wajale, his home town.
See also
*
Radio Mogadishu
*
Somali National Television
*
Somaliland National TV
*
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
*
VOA
*
Universal TV
*
Horn Cable Television
Literature
*
References
BBC people
1943 births
2015 deaths
21st-century Somaliland people
{{Somaliland-bio-stub