# Sheikh Ahmed Haji Abdirahman (Sheekh Axmed Xaaji Cabdiraxmaan)

> Sheikh Ahmed Haji Abdirahman (d. 2011): Galkayo scholar, vice president of East Africa University, killed in Bosaso.

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

## Who was he?

Sheikh Ahmed Haji Abdirahman Mohamed was a Somali cleric, preacher and scholar ([Wikipedia, Ahmed Haji Abdirahman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Haji_Abdirahman)). Wikipedia gives his birth as 1957 in one place and 1958 in another; he was born in rural Mudug and grew up in Galkayo (same source). His father sat in the first Somali parliament and was among the founders of the Somali Youth League, and his mother's family included [Yasin Osman Kenadid](/en/people/yasin-osman-kenadid/), who wrote the first Somali-language dictionary (same source). See [Mudug](/en/regions/mudug/).

## Career

After school he did military service, trained in Iraq, and rose to lieutenant before resigning ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Haji_Abdirahman)). He was active in Islamic movements from the 1970s and became one of Somalia's leading scholars (same source). He co-founded East Africa University and served as its vice president, and was a member of the Association of Somali Scholars (same source). With [Sheikh](/en/regions/sheikh/) [Abdinasir Haji Ahmed](/en/people/abdinasir-haji-ahmed/) he co-founded the Al-Furqan Institute in Las Anod in 1994 ([Wikipedia, Abdinasir Haji Ahmed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdinasir_Haji_Ahmed)).

## Death

He was killed in [Bosaso](/en/regions/bari/) on 4 December 2011, in an attack attributed to al-Shabaab ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Haji_Abdirahman)).

## In short

A Galkayo-raised former officer who became a leading scholar and university founder, killed in Bosaso in 2011.

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