MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has offered condolences to Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan following the death of her husband, Hafidh Ameir Hassan, who died Monday while receiving treatment for a heart condition in Zanzibar.
Mohamud expressed his sympathy to President Samia and her family, saying Somalia stood with them and with the people of Tanzania during the period of mourning.
Hafidh Ameir Hassan died on Sept. 7 at Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital in Zanzibar, where he had been receiving treatment for a heart condition, Tanzania’s Vice President Deogratius Ndejembi announced. He was 76 or 77, with differing reports on his age.
Ameir was an agricultural specialist and academic who largely kept a private profile. He became Tanzania’s first First Gentleman when Samia became president in March 2021 following the death of President John Magufuli.
He married Samia in 1978, and the couple had four children. Their daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, is a member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives.
Funeral prayers were held in Kizimkazi, Zanzibar, on Monday, with senior Tanzanian government, political and religious leaders attending.
Mohamud’s message adds Somalia to a series of regional and international condolences extended to the Tanzanian president following the death of her husband. The African Union Commission chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, also expressed condolences to President Samia, her family and the people of Tanzania.
The condolences underscore the close diplomatic and regional ties between Somalia and Tanzania, as both countries continue to engage on political, economic and security issues across East Africa.
