Prominent Somali Activist Almas Elman Shot and Killed In Mogadishu

Almas Elman, a prominent Somali rights activist and organizer was killed today in Mogadishu. She died after being hit by a bullet while riding inside of a car in the Halane compound, reports the Somali news site Hiiraan.

Though details surrounding her death remain uncertain, according to security on the ground Elman "was riding in a car along a road inside the airport," Mohamed Omar, a Somali security official told News 24. "A stray bullet hit her, and she died within a few minutes." The complex is also the headquarters of African Union soldiers.

She was believed to been heading to the airport after attending a meeting at the Elman Peace Centre, which was founded by her mother Fartuun Adan in 1990.

It is unclear who fired off the bullet, and some reports say that Elman may have been assassinated in a targeted attack.

The story has been covered by Somali-language broadcaster RTN TV:

Almaas Elman oo lagu dilay Magaalada Muqdisho. (Pictured here are Almas' sisters Ilwad and Iman. www.youtube.com

Elman came from a long line of activists. She was the sister of aid worker Ilwad Elman who was recently shortlisted for the Nobel Peace Prize. Her father was the respected Somali activist Elman Ali Ahmed, who was himself assassinated in Mogadishu in 1996. She became a dual Canadian and Somali citizen after her family fled to Canada in the early 1990s during the Somali Civil War.

Elman's sisters Ilwad and Iman—who is a commander in the Somali armed forces—along with their mother, run the family's foundation, a non-profit "dedicated to promoting peace, cultivating leadership and empowering the marginalized brackets of society to be decision makers in the processes that ensure their wellbeing," as described on the organization's website.

Elman was previously the first secretary at the Somali embassy in Kenya, according to Hiiraan.

Heartfelt words of condolence have been pouring in for Elman since the news broke, and many are demanding answers around the events that led to her tragic death. We will keep you updated as more details arise.