Among the victims was Mohamed Shuuriye, a Somali Australian from Melbourne and former member Somali parliament who was also a presidential candidate in the upcoming election in Jubaland.
Father of six, Mohamed Shuuriye has become a deputy minister in the previous government and in Melbourne, his brother Hassan Shuuriye said his brother was instrumental in establishing Jubaland State of which Kismayo is the capital.
Mohamed Shuuriye, former member of federal parliament among victims of Kismayo attack. Image source: Facebook Source: Facebook
"He went into politics in order to contribute to the rebuilding of Somalia and served as a member of Parliament between 2012-2016 and deputy minister of public works," he said
Since the collapse of the Somali government in the early 1990s, Somali diaspora has established new lives in many corners of the world including Europe, North America and Australia and have been a backbone of Somali society contributing billions of dollars to another wise none-existing economy.
They now hold the highest positions of government, business and civil society and have a huge role in every sector of Somali communities.
While members of diaspora have in previous attacks fallen victim to terrorist bombings, none has so grieved the nation than Hodan Naleyeh who was credited to bringing hope and inspiration to her war-ravaged country.
She was described as a role model for journalism and her death reverberated around the world.
She founded Integration TV, an international online video company aimed at Somali viewers around the globe, a platform designed to change the negative image of Somali society who in the eyes of the world becomes synonym with civil war, terrorism and famine.
Illustrating changing the narrative she posted images capturing the beauty of the countryside and the pristine beaches of the country just days before her tragic death.
She dedicated her life to telling good stories that are rarely told by media and inspired many including Abdulrahman Elmi, founder of Perth Based Roots TV, a youtube channel that provides a platform for community groups to gain media skills and tell their stories.
He says Hodan Naleye's death shocked and saddened the diaspora communities and he described her as an icon
" She was an icon who really inspired me to continue some of the work I do, I have always been passionate about community stories, when I heard about integration TV and how she was celebrating the amazing stories in the Somali communities, god knows that we need a lot of good news coming from our community," he says
" What she brought to the community was something fresh and exciting particularly because she was speaking English and her audience were diaspora communities"
Abdulrahim says what her legacy will depend on the wider community but she will be remembered as a candle of hope.
Abdulrahman Elmi, founder and president of Roots TV, a Youtube channel based in Perth Image Source: Provided Source: Supplied
"Hopefully her legacy will be, seeing more Somali men and women learning about what she was passionate about sharing stories in local communities," he says
