Businessman Ahmed Yusuf Haamey, who was among the peace activists in Galkayo, was shot dead this evening outside his business premises in northern Galkayo, according to eyewitnesses.
Haamey previously served as the manager of Galwa, a water supply company in Galkayo.
An eyewitness who spoke to Kaab TV said armed men opened fire on Haamey while he was standing at the entrance to his business.
“May Allah have mercy on him. Businessman Ahmed Yusuf Haamey was killed shortly before the Maghrib prayer,” said an eyewitness, Saeed.
No arrests have so far been reported in connection with the killing.
Ali Haji Warsame, a politician from Galkayo, condemned the killing, saying such violence undermines the city’s development.
“A society that kills its prominent members cannot achieve development. May Allah grant the late Ahmed Yusuf Haamey eternal peace,” Warsame said.
Another local resident, Saeed Hassan, said the gunmen shot the businessman shortly before the evening prayer.
Haamey was known for his peace activism in Galkayo. In 2023, he publicly called for a united stance against armed groups responsible for killings.
“How can I befriend or associate with someone who killed the person who prayed beside me in the mosque? Criminals have no clan. Let us stand together against them,” he said in a speech on August 3, 2023.
Galkayo is once again facing heightened security concerns after two people were killed in the city within a 48-hour period. The killings have reportedly been linked to revenge attacks and clan-related conflicts.
The repeated killings risk increasing fear among residents, particularly when those responsible are not quickly identified or arrested.
Galkayo has previously experienced periods of insecurity and killings linked to clan revenge. However, peace efforts involving traditional elders, the Puntland and Galmudug administrations, and civil society groups helped reduce insecurity in the city.
There are now growing concerns that such killings may be returning.
Galkayo is divided between a northern section administered by Puntland and a southern section administered by Galmudug.
Police and local authorities in Galkayo have not yet issued statements regarding the killing.