MOGADISHU, Somalia – The body of the minister for women and human rights of Somalia was laid to rest at a funeral procession in Mogadishu, a day after she died at 59.
Members of the government, including PM Hamza Abdi Barre attended the state funeral for Khadija Mohamed Diriye, who passed away in Djibouti on Wednesday after a sudden illness.
Before the burial, an Imam led mourners in prayer for the deceased at Aden Abdulle International Airport, where the plane carrying the body in a flag-draped coffin landed.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh and other top government officials sent their heartfelt condolences to the family of Diriye, who was the longest-serving official in Somalia.
She joined politics in 2000 and served successfully in six governments as MP and minister. Many described her as a stateswoman, who devoted most of her life for the public service.
