H.E. President Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud Silanyo has on his behalf, government and the people of Somaliland express his profound condolences to intellectuals, elders, and writer’s fraternity, the government of the United Kingdom and the people of Somaliland on the death of the Late Abbas Idriss formerly known as John Drysdale who passed on Sunday,10/07/2016 in Hargeisa and his remains will be laid to rest on Tuesday,12/07/2016.
The President termed the Late Abbas Idriss (John Drysdale) as a person who sacrificed many efforts to both the people and nation at large, in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture and through his NGO (Cadastral Surveys), the late Abbas Idriss surveyed and mapped hitherto non-existent farm boundaries in the Gabiley and Dilla districts in Borame region hence solving longstanding land ownership disputes.
The Late Abbas Idriss aka John Drysdale a former British army officer, arrived in Somaliland in 1943 in his teen. He served along ide Somaliland soldiers during WWII in Burma and Singapore. During his long career as Military man, diplomat, businessman, Historian and publisher, Drysdale has been a prolific writer and analyst of political events in Somaliland, Somalia East, Africa and Southeast Asia.
In 2009, Mr Drysdale wore a special Islamic hat to pledge allegiance to the holy Qur’an in a ceremony held in Hargeisa’s main Mosque and changed his name completely to Abbas Idris (Enoch),becaming aSomaliland citizens a short time later.
“Verily to Allah belongs what He took and to Him belongs what He gave, and everything with Him has appointed time …..And then he ordered for us to be patient and hope for Allah’s reward.
We ask Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) to forgive all his sins and take his soul to Jannat ul Fardowza,ameen. And give patience to his family and magnify your reward at this time.
Inaa lillahi Wa inaa Ilayhi Raji’uun.
Sl Press
