A suicide bomber struck a Hotel on Friday in the port city of Kismaayo in Southern Somalia, followed by a car full of gunmen that stormed the premises. The ensuing siege lasted for 14 hours, which left 26 dead and 56 others wounded, which included prominent Somali-Canadian journalist Hodan Nalayeh and her husband. The attack was claimed by the Al Qaeda affiliate terrorist group AL Shabaab.
What followed next was unprecedented. The Horn of Africa nation (Somalia) has suffered terrorism related violence for more than a decade but what came next was unprecedented, in regards to the reaction of the global Somali community. Somalis from all walks of life and different parts of the world reacted with anger and grief which sparked an unprecedented public backlash.
Social media was abuzz with fury. Somalis where in full force condemning the extremist group Al Shabaab. The gruesome slaying of Journalist Hodan Nalayeh and her husband hit a nerve with the average Somali. Many could be openly seen on various social media platforms lashing out against Al Shabaab and cursing the name of the Terror group for the heinous attack in Kismaayo.
The death of Hodan Nalayeh came as a shock to many. A women who left the comforts of her home in the West to give back to her war torn homeland. A freelance journalist that dedicated her life to debunking the misconceptions of Somalia in the media by portraying her nation in a positive light. Hodan was inspirational to Somalis, particularly those in the Diaspora.
Once it was revealed she was brutally murdered in a horrific terrorist attack. Somalis simply lost it and went crazy. Tributes and eulogies flooded social media. It was for the first time in a very long time that Somalis of all walks life simultaneously felt the pain of terrorism. What stuck out the most was the fact that Somalis who never met Hodan where the most vocal in there condemnation of Al Shabaab. A sign that Hodan ment so much to a community already afflicted with nearly three decades of trauma.
Hodan Nalayeh perished in place that was most dear to her heart (Somalia). She left behind children and an entire nation (Somalia) that will remember her as a Martyr for decades to come.
Halgan Media Editorial Staff
