HARGEISA (SD) – A national funeral was held in Hargeisa for the great Somali poet Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame Hadrawi, who passed away on Thursday afternoon at the age of 79.

Thousands of people, including members of the Somaliland government, leaders of political parties, delegates from neighboring countries and a large number of civilians were at the poet’s funeral at Baqiq cemetery.

The president of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi, said that the poet spoke and related to every Somali person, and he was part of every family.

Waddani party’s presidential candidate Abdirahman Irro said at ceremony that Hadrawi fought against oppression, saying that everyone was saddened by his death.

Hadrawi, the greatest poet in the history of modern Somali literature, his creations were translated into many languages, and he was called the Somali Shakespeare.