Ibrahim Ismail Sugulle (), more commonly known as Sooraan, was a Somali poet, actor, comedian and composer. Sooraan was a well-known poet and was widely known in Somali communities.

Biography

Sooraan was born in 1958 in the town of Kiridh, in

Togdheer Togdheer (, ) is an administrative region (''Administrative divisions of Somaliland, gobol'') in central Somaliland. Togdheer is bordered by Maroodi Jeex to the west, Sahil, Somaliland, Saaxil to the north, Sanaag to the northeast, Sool, Somalia ...

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 ...

, and belongs to the

Imran Imran, also transliterated as Emran ( ''ʿImrān'') is an Arabic name. The name Imran is found in the Quranic chapter called Family of ʿImrān (''āl ʿImrān''). It may refer to: Given name * Imran, father of Mary in the Quran: see Joachim ( ...

clan of the

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-family. Sooran started his career in 1979, joining the Durdur band in

Mogadishu Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...

as an actor before later becoming a writer for the band. At the breakout of the

Somali civil war The Somali Civil War (; ) is an List of ongoing armed conflicts, ongoing civil war that is taking place in Somalia. It grew out of resistance to the military junta which was led by Siad Barre during the 1980s. From 1988 to 1990, the Somali Armed ...

in 1991, Sooraan moved back to his hometown

Burao Burao, also spelt Bur'o or Bur'ao (; , , ), is the capital of the Togdheer region and the second largest city in Somaliland. Burao was the site of the Somaliland Declaration of Independence, declaration of an independent Somaliland on 18 May 19 ...

, where he later primarily focused on comedy and performing dramas that touched on social issues affecting Somalis, especially in Somaliland. Such plays include ''Illaahay umaddii u ammaan geli'', a play about the consequences of harming animals, as well as another drama covering the various political parties and associations that stood for election in Somaliland's 2012 municipal elections. His close friend and fellow acting partner Isse Abdi Ismail (Jawaan) has starred in most of these dramas and sketches, and have together gone on tours in numerous countries with significant Somali communities. Sooraan was nominated for the Best Entertainment Award for the 2017 International Somali Awards.

Death

Sooraan died on 26 May 2021 due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

complications in

, capital of Togdheer region, where he was buried the next day. He is survived by two wives and three children. Many dignitaries have given their condolences, including Somaliland president

Muse Bihi Abdi Musa Bihi Abdi (, ; born 16 June 1948) is a Somaliland politician and former military officer who served as the 5th President of Somaliland from 2017 to 2024. During the 1970s, he served as a pilot in the Somali Air Force under the Siad Barr ...

, Somali president Farmajo, former prime minister

Mohamed Hussein Roble Mohamed Hussein Roble (; born February 1968) is a Somali politician who was the prime minister of Somalia from 23 September 2020 to 25 June 2022. Background He was born in Hobyo in February 1968. He received a BSc in civil engineering from th ...

and Somali Regional State president Mustafe Cagjar.

Works

* ''Illaahay umaddii u ammaan geli'' * ''Laxda'' * ''Jinka'' * ''Fuley Been Badanaa'' * ''Aafada Tahriibka''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sooraan 1958 births 2021 deaths Somalian dramatists and playwrights Somali-language writers People from Burao Somalian Muslims 20th-century Somalian poets 21st-century poets Ethnic Somali people 21st-century Somalian writers Somalian philosophers 20th-century Muslims 21st-century Muslims Somalian male writers 20th-century male writers 21st-century male writers