Image caption Abas Abdullahi Sheikh grew up in Dadaab refugee camp

Somalia's security forces have shot dead a 31-year-old government minister after mistaking him for a militant Islamist, officials have said.

He was killed in his vehicle near the presidential palace in the capital, Mogadishu, the officials added.

The president has cut short his visit to Ethiopia following Abas Abdullahi Sheikh's killing, state radio reports.

He grew up in a refugee camp, and became Somalia's youngest MP in November and a minister in February.

Somalia has been wracked by conflict since the long-serving ruler Siad Barre was ousted in 1991.

It is currently battling militant Islamists from the al-Shabab group, which is affiliated to al-Qaeda.

Image copyright AFP Image caption The minister was in his vehicle near the presidential palace when he was shot

Security forces on patrol came across a vehicle blocking the road and, thinking it was being driven by militants, opened fire, police Major Nur Hussein told Reuters news agency.

Mr Abas was killed "by mistake - they opened fire on his car accidentally. May God rest his soul", Mogadishu mayoral spokesman Abdifatah Omar Halane was quoted as saying.

A rising star has been killed: Abdirizak Atosh, BBC Somali, Nairobi

Somali youth have been robbed of a role model following the shocking death of Mr Abas. Always polite and well-dressed, the former child refugee was widely admired for his determination to succeed.

Coming from a prominent religious family, Mr Abas studied at Kenya's prestigious Nairobi University and entered politics last year.

He became an MP for the port city of Kismayo in Somalia's Jubbaland region after an electoral college chose him ahead of a government minister who had been on the political scene for more than two decades.

Mr Abas' victory showed that Somalis were fed up with the old guard, and were demanding change. Sensing his popularity with the youth, the president appointed him to the cabinet in March.

Less than three months later, this rising star has become the latest casualty of more than two decades of violence in Somalia. But in this case some are asking: Has Somalia lost a future president?

Mr Abas was given a state funeral in Mogadishu attended by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo, members of parliament, Somali youth and elders.

Image caption Abas Abdullahi Sheikh was given a state funeral

President Farmajo has ordered security chiefs to "immediately get to the bottom of this unfortunate tragedy" and make sure the perpetrators were "brought to book".

Information Minister Abdirahman Osman said several people had been arrested, but did not give details, state-owned Radio Mogadishu reported.

Troops are sometimes nervous, and have previously shot officials - and each other - by mistake, says BBC Somalia analyst Abdullahi Abdi.

But Mr Abas, the public works minister, is probably the most high-ranking official killed by "friendly fire", he adds.

Mr Abas grew up in Dadaab camp in Kenya, home to hundreds of thousands of Somalis who fled drought and conflict.

The president appointed Mr Abas to the cabinet following his surprise election victory in February.

President Farmajo promised to improve security and establish an effective government in Somalia.

Much of the country is still under the control of al-Shabab.</s>Somalia attack: Minister Abas Abdullahi Sheikh killed in Mogadishu

 

 Somalia's security forces have shot dead a 31-year-old government minister after mistaking him for a militant Islamist, officials have said. He was killed in his vehicle near the presidential palace in the capital, Mogadishu, the officials added. The …</s>Somalia's Public Works Minister Abdullahi Sheikh Abas has been killed after an attack on his convoy in the capital, Mogadishu.

He was shot in his car near the presidential palace, local media said.

Mr Abas was a former refugee who grew up in Dadaab camp in Kenya, home to hundreds of thousands of Somalis who fled drought and civil war.

He became the country's youngest MP last November, aged 31, when he defeated a former minister.

Much of Somalia is still under the control of Islamist militant group al-Shabab, which is affiliated to al-Qaeda.

The country held elections in February and Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo became the new president in a surprise result.</s>A Somali government minister was shot dead Wednesday near the country's presidential palace in Mogadishu.

The minister of public works and reconstruction, Abbas Abdullahi Sheikh Siraji, was declared dead after an exchange of gunfire Wednesday.

Witnesses told VOA's Somali Service that the minister was shot after bodyguards of Somalia's auditor general opened fire.

The auditor general, Nur Jimale Farah, said bodyguards in his vehicle suspected the car behind them carried a suicide bomber.

Farah says the shooting occurred Wednesday evening about 500 meters from the presidential palace, Villa Somalia.

Information Minister Abdirahman Omar Osman confirmed the death of Siraji on Twitter and said an investigation is under way.

Siraji was the youngest minister in the government and was among the first Somali refugees to return to the country from Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp last year.</s>BREAKING: Somali minister for public works, Abdullahi Sheikh Abbas, has been shot dead in #Somalia's capital Mogadishu. pic.twitter.com/iXHsK6UmHE</s>Somalia's Public Works Minister Abdullahi Sheikh Abas has been killed after an attack on his convoy in the capital, Mogadishu. Mr Abas was a former refugee who grew up in Dadaab camp in Kenya, home to hundreds of thousands of Somalis who fled drought and civil war.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Newsday.</s>The new Somalia government has been dealt a major blow following the killing of the Public Works and Reconstruction minister Abbas Abdullahi Siraji. Initial reports indicated that government forces opened fire on the minister's vehicle near Villa Somalia, the state house in Mogadishu.

Start the conversation, or Read more at AllAfrica.com.</s>Somali security forces shot dead a minister for public works in his car in the capital Mogadishu on Wednesday after mistaking him for an Islamist militant, officials said. Mogadishu mayoral spokesman Abdifatah Omar Halane said the minister, Abbas Abdullahi Sheikh Siraji, who was also a lawmaker, was killed "by mistake - they opened fire on his car accidentally.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Reuters.</s>Somalia's Minister of Public Works and Reconstruction Abbas Siraj was shot dead in capital Mogadishu on Wednesday evening following a gunfire from Somali government forces, officials said.

The incident took place in front of the presidential place in Mogadishu, Anadolu reported.

Mohamed Bulle, a police captain in the area, told Anadolu Agency over the telephone that the 31-year-old minister was killed after forces belonging to Somali government opened fire into his car near the state house in Warta Nabada district.

“Abbas Siraj, Somalia's public works and reconstruction minister, was killed near the presidential palace by government soldiers. We don’t yet know the motive behind this [shooting] but an investigation is underway," Captain Bulle said.

Information Minister Abdirahman Osman Yerisow also confirmed the incident in a short statement posted on his Facebook account, saying the “Somali minister of public works died this evening in Mogadishu following gunfire from soldiers”.

A former humanitarian worker, Abbas Sheikh Abdulahi Siraj grew up in Dadab, the world’s largest refugee camp in northeastern Kenya. He was the youngest member of the Somali cabinet, as well as the youngest MP.

Hassan Ali, MP from Jubaland state where Siraj was elected, called on the Somali government to hold accountable those who were behind the killing.</s>Somalia’s minister of public works and reconstruction Abbas Abdullahi Siraji was killed in Mogadishu on Wednesday in an apparent accidental shooting, government and police sources said.

In a statement, the government said it was “deeply saddened” by the death of Siraji, the youngest member of the Somali cabinet who grew up in a Kenyan refugee camp before winning election in 2016 and being named a minister by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.

Siraji’s vehicle was mistakenly shot at by government security guards outside the presidential palace, a senator told AFP.
Somali Public Works Minister Abbas Abdullahi Sheikh Siraji is shot and killed inside his vehicle by security forces near the Villa Somalia in the capital Mogadishu, after mistaking him for a militant.