Elman Ali Ahmed ( so, Cilmi Cali Axmed, ar, علم علي أحمد) was a Somali entrepreneur and social activist.

Personal life

Ahmed was based in

Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Oc ...

Ahmed was married to

Fartuun Adan Fartuun Abdisalaan Adan ( so, Fartuun Aadan, ar, فارتون آدن) is a Somali social activist. She is the Executive Director of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre. Personal life Adan grew up in Somalia. She was married to Elman Ali A ...

, with whom he had four daughters. Due to having receiving death threats, Ahmed had planned to move abroad. On 9 March 1996, he was assassinated near the family's home in the southern part of the city. The area was at the time under the control of faction leader

Mohamed Farah Aidid Mohamed Farrah Hassan Aidid ( so, Maxamed Faarax Xasan Caydiid; ar, محمد فرح حسن عيديد; 15 December 1934 – 1 August 1996) was a Somali general and diplomat. Educated in both Rome and Moscow, he served as a chief in the Italian ...

. Although Ahmed's killing was alleged to have been politically related, a representative of Aidid denied involvement and instead condemned the murder. In November, 2019, Elman's daughter, Almaas Elman, who had grown up in Canada, and who, with other family members, had returned to Somalia, as aid-workers, as adults, was killed near Mogadishu airport.

Career

Professionally, Ahmed was a businessman with his own vehicle repair and recovery service. He also ran a technical training institute in the city to rehabilitate young militants during the height of the

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. Additionally, Ahmed was politically engaged, often taking to task local leaders for failing to put an end to the civil conflict. He was politically unaligned, and advocated peace and reconciliation. Ahmed likewise managed

Elman FC Elman Sports Club ( ar, نادي السد الرياضي) is a Somali sports club based in the Wadajir district of Mogadishu. It is best known for football team, which competes in the top level of Somali Premier League, Locally, it is known prima ...

, a football team in the city, provided relief services to disadvantaged children, and contributed to rehabilitating community facilities such as roads and electricity.

Elman Peace Centre

In honour of Ahmed, his wife Fartuun Adan and their children established the Elman Peace Centre in Mogadishu. Adan serves as the

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

's Executive Director, while their daughter Ilwad works alongside her.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahmed, Elman Ali 1996 deaths Ethnic Somali people Year of birth missing