Somalis mourn legendary comedian Sooraan

Somalis have been mourning the death of comedian Ibrahim Ismail, who was better known by his nickname Soran.

He had been in hospital in Burao, in the breakaway republic of Somaliland, reportedly being treated for coronavirus.

Soran, who was also a poet, writer and actor, began his career in 1979 writing lyrics for the band Durdur, which was hugely popular in the capital, Mogadishu.

After the civil war began in 1991, he moved back to his hometown of Burao – and mainly turned to comedy.

He wrote and acted in sketches, along with his acting partner Jawan, which were broadcast on cable TV.

These skits were beloved by many Somalis as Soran was not afraid to poke fun at any issue or politician.

“He laughed a lot at us,” one tweeter said.

He was last seen in April when he appeared at an event in neighbouring Djibouti to promote the country’s inaugural half-marathon.

He joked he could beat four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah, the British-Somali runner who went on to win the race in a time of one hour, three minutes and six seconds.

Politicians from across Somalia’s many divides have united in their praise for Soran – including the presidents of Somalia and Somaliland.

Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Roble paid tribute to him on Twitter, saying Soran brought about awareness through his art:

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Filmmaker Ahmed Somali posted a tweet describing Soran as a generous visionary: