KENYA: Africa peace icon passes away

  1. Posted on Monday 18 July 2011 - 14:26
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    Abdirashid Abdi Diis, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya
    One of Kenya's key leaders for peace building and conflict resolutions in Africa and the rest of the world, mother Dekha Ibrahim Abdi has passed on. She was the first African, the first Muslim and the second woman to have won the prestigious Hesse Peace Prize in 2009 in Germany. She died after a motor crash at age 47 on July 14 in a Kenya hospital.
    Dekha Ibrahim Abdi, Kenya
    On that fateful day, Abdi was travelling with her husband Abdinoor, and their driver to a peace conference in Garissa, when their car crashed into a truck. Her husband and driver died instantly. Dekha sustained heavy injuries and was airlifted to Nairobi, where she died shortly afterwards at the Aga Khan Hospital.

    Her birthplace of Wajir district in north eastern Kenya is in a state of shock ever since the sad news became public. World figures are sending in their message of condolences.

    Her efforts and commitments of tirelessness on peace and conflict resolutions were deep-rooted where she received a global recognition and several handful of peace awards.

    Dekha also received the Right Livelihood Award in 2007 for her peace initiatives and knitting several rifts left by violence based on religion, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. She played a national crucial role towards peace and stability building in Kenya.

    She left behind four children.

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