The former Somali ambassador to the United States, a long-time Columbus resident and advocate for refugees and resettlement efforts, died this week.
Abdikarim Ali Omar, 70, of Westerville, died Tuesday night of natural causes, according to his family. and community leaders.
Omar was the last Somali ambassador to the United States before the fall of the government and civil war in 1991.
"He was a great leader to the Somali community. He was very kind, so helpful to the newcomers," said Abdi Hakim, a case worker for the Community Refugee and Immigration Services.
Omar joined the Somali foreign ministry in 1975, trained as a finance clerk. He came to the United States in 1978, transferring to the Somali foreign embassy in Washington D.C.