Mogadishu (Alshahid) – Somalia’s sports minister who sustained serious injuries in Mogadishu bombing at a medical graduation ceremony in late December has died in hospital in Saudi Arabia, relatives and officials said on Saturday.

Saleban Olad Roble passed away on Friday at a hospital in the Saudi capital Riyadh, where he and other victims of the December 3 blast at the Shamo Hotel had been flown for treatment.

“On behalf of the Somali government, and all of Somalia, I would like to express our deepest sympathies to Suleyban Olad Roble’s family, friends and colleagues,” said Dahir Mahmoud Guelleh, Minister of Information in a statement of which APA obtained a copy on Saturday.

“He was a fine man and an excellent minister, who dedicated his life to working towards peace and reconciliation in Somalia. We will miss him and we will remember him.

“Suleyban Olad Roble’s death means that Somalia has now lost four ministers to the barbarism of Al Shabaab on 3 December, as well as the many young Somali graduates who were murdered that day. Al Shabaab represents nothing but slaughter and repression to the people of Somalia.

Dahir described the late minister as a brave and dedicated Somali Minister.

Somalia ambassador to Kenya Mohamed Ali Nur, said that his government will arrange a state funeral.

“We are still not sure whether his body will be carried back from Saudi Arabia. Our condolences go to his family and colleagues.”

Twenty-two people were killed, including three other government ministers — education, higher education and health — and 10 members of Benadir University’s faculty and students.