It took me a long time to write this article. Perhaps because we want to postpone the inevitable, it's difficult to write about the deaths of people we knew and liked. Some time ago (with considerable delay), I received news of the death of Abdirahman Mohamed Ahmed al-Rassace, who was murdered on the 7th of February 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya. I had known Abdirahman since 2021, and since then we've exchanged numerous views on what's happening in the world, as well as history—primarily the Horn of Africa. Conversations with him were incredibly enjoyable because of the warmth he bestowed upon his interlocutors, beginning each new conversation with "my dear brother and comrade."
Abdirahman Mohamed Ahmed al-Rassace hailed from the Einguela district of Djibouti, though he also had ancestors in Yemen and Somalia. He came from the influential Djiboutian al-Rassace family. His father, Mohamed, was an official in the Ministry of Finance, and his uncle, Abdourahman, worked in the Ministry of National Education, where he witnessed the upbringing of generations of Djiboutians at the Boulaos School. His older sister, Bahia Mohamed Ahmed, is a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Health. Consequently, his family was closely linked to the current Djiboutian regime, which Abdirahman fought against for decades!
An Active Internationalist
Abdirahman's life is an example of active internationalism. At the end of the 1990s, he left his native Djibouti to study in Canada (which he later obtained citizenship for), where he studied International Finance and Economics at the University of Montreal. There, he was involved in student activities—in particular in the pro-Palestinian cause. He was also involved in the anti-globalisation cause there. After research work at his alma mater, Abdirahman M Ahmad joined Alteratives.ca (Canada) and the Palestinian Occupied Territories (Palestine) in January 2003.
Until 2006, he lived in occupied Palestine, where, as an international project manager—a bilateral CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) project with the Palestinian Ministry of Social Affairs—he built from scratch two community centres in refugee camps in the Gaza Strip (Jabalia and Nusseirat refugee camps) to empower women and provide them with training. The project included three components: social services, technical and vocational training for women, and institutional development of the Ministry.
Return to Africa and Environmental Activism
Disappointed by the hypocrisy of the Canadian side (which, contrary to his assumptions, did not engage in this project in a meaningful way), he decided to return to Africa in 2007. He began building the Dahabshiil Baking System in Dakar, Senegal. In 2010, he travelled to Ethiopia, where he was involved with The Horn of Africa Regional Environmental Centre (HoAREC). As Abdirahman said, "Africa is a place where we can see the catastrophic effects of climate change firsthand," and that is why he decided to dedicate his future to this endeavour.
Abdirahman’s groundbreaking research on the UAE’s monopolisation of African ports likely made him a high-value target, ultimately leading to the forced closure of his institute
He sought to promote a fully African perspective on the impacts of climate change. These activities were an attempt to create alternatives to green imperialism—attempts by more powerful Western entities to impose climate solutions on Africans. As part of this work, he worked in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, and Somalia.
Political Repression and Exile
Due to his anti-imperialism and political activism, particularly his political education of Djiboutian youth and women, he faced political repression from the French puppet dictator of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh. After an attempted arrest and subsequent failed assassination attempt by the puppet regime, he fled to Somalia, where he continued his activism among the Djiboutian diaspora and also advocated for the rights of Somalis, mobilising them politically against imperialist forces.
Abdirahman faced a stronger enemy than his own government. The fight for the Somali resistance turned out to be a fight against the imperialist influence of the United Arab Emirates in the region. Therefore, in 2023, he had to flee from Somalia and settled in Kenya. There, in January 2024, he founded and became deputy director of The Afro-Asia Institute for Strategic Studies (AAISS). The institute's task was to conduct scientific research on African independence. The institute's channel is still on YouTube, and the largest study was a comprehensive article titled "Green Imperialism. The Final Act in the Scramble for Africa". However, when the institute started working on so-called "port imperialism"—the UAE's action to gain control over ports throughout Africa, but especially the Horn of Africa—the UAE once again activated its nefarious tentacles and led to the closure of the institute.
A Mysterious Death
Abdirahman's persecution ended in early February 2026 (a few months after the AAISS closed) when he contracted a mysterious illness and died shortly thereafter, likely poisoned. However, Kenyan authorities have refused to clarify the circumstances of our comrade's death to this day, even though there are clear indications that the UAE was behind it.
If anyone wants to familiarise themselves with Abdirahman's anti-imperialist stance, they can listen to his short interview for Press TV or the entire long interview he gave to Rania Khalek from 2021.
Once again, comrade, thank you for everything—for your kindness, commitment, and help. I will never forget your agreement to give a lecture on the situation in Africa in November 2025, at my invitation, and for your activism in the fight for a better future for the people of Africa.
Rest in Power!