Beled-hawo (Sunatimes) The pioneer of Somalia’s border town of Beled-Hawo has died in her rural home village, seven Kilometers from Beled-Hawo town, which is named after her.

Hawo Osman Gurey, aged 110, died in her rural Amin village, where she has been ailing since 2004.

Hawo is reportedly said to be the first person to settle Beled-Hawo earlier in 1910, where she first erected a makeshift house before it was demolished by the colonial authorities.

Being the only makeshif house in a densely forested area, Somali travelers used hawa’s place as a transit camp to break their journey before proceeding to their destined areas.

Beled-Hawo, literally meaning “Hawa’s Town” is a border town along the Kenyan –Somalia border and it served as Gedo’s provincial headquarter before it was transferred to Garbaharey in 1985.

By Abdifitah Ibrahim