# Abdirahman Omar Osman "Yarisow" (Cabdiraxmaan Cumar Cismaan Yariisow)

> Abdirahman Omar Osman 'Yarisow' (1965 to 2019): engineer, London councillor, Mayor of Mogadishu 2018 to 2019.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/people/abdirahman-omar-osman-yarisow/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who was he?

Abdirahman Omar Osman, known as Engineer Yarisow, was Mayor of [Mogadishu](/en/regions/mogadishu/) and Governor of [Banadir](/en/states/banadir/) ([Wikipedia, Abdirahman Omar Osman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdirahman_Omar_Osman)). He was born on 16 August 1965 in Hodan district, Mogadishu, and died on 1 August 2019 (same source).

## Study and life in London

He earned a BSc in civil engineering at the Somali National University ([Yarisow CV, Ministry of Information, March 2017](http://moi.gov.so/en/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Yarisow-CV-19-March-2017.pdf)). He left during the civil war in 1991 and arrived in London as a refugee ([BBC News, August 2019](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-49197036)). He took a master's degree at the University of Westminster in 2004 (CV, same source). He served as a Labour Party councillor in London ([Reuters, 25 July 2019](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-mayor-idUSKCN1UK2F5)). In 2006 he became a corporate member of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CV). He returned to Somalia in 2008 (BBC News, same source). See [Somalis in London](/en/diaspora/london/).

## Mayor of Mogadishu

President [Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed](/en/people/mohamed-abdullahi-farmaajo/) "Farmaajo" named him after removing Thabit Abdi Mohamed ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdirahman_Omar_Osman)). [World Statesmen](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Somalia.html) gives 21 January 2018 as the start of his term.

## The attacks of July 2019

On 22 July 2019 a car bomb at a checkpoint on the airport road killed at least 17 people ([Reuters, 22 July 2019](https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN1UH15W-OZATP)). On 24 July 2019 a woman suicide bomber blew herself up inside his office, killing six officials ([BBC News, 24 July 2019](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-49100440)). The BBC reported that the US envoy James Swan, who had met the mayor earlier that day, was the target (same source). The mayor was badly wounded, flown to Doha, [Qatar](/en/diaspora/qatar/), and died there on 1 August 2019 ([BBC News, 1 August 2019](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-49197036); [New York Times, 1 August 2019](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/01/world/africa/mogadishu-mayor-dead.html)). [Al-Shabaab](/en/history/al-shabaab/) claimed the attack ([The Guardian, 1 August 2019](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/01/mayor-of-mogadishu-dies-as-result-of-al-shabaab-attack-somalia)).

## After his death

[Omar Mohamud Mohamed](/en/people/omar-finnish/) "Finnish" followed him as mayor on 22 August 2019 ([Reuters, 22 August 2019](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-security-idUSKCN1VC24H)). Keydmedia reported in July 2021 that Ikran Tahlil Farah, a former employee of his who went missing in June 2021, may have held information about the attack ([Keydmedia, 13 July 2021](https://www.keydmedia.net/news/somali-intelligence-top-brass-accused-of-killing-female-employee)).

## In short

A refugee engineer who became a London councillor, then Mayor of Mogadishu, and died after the July 2019 attack on his office. See [Mayors of Mogadishu](/en/institutions/mayors-of-mogadishu/).

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