Abdullahi Haji: My Life Through News Media

ABDULLAHI HAJI: MY LIFE THROUGH NEWS MEDIA captures the extraordinary journey of Abdullahi Haji Abdi, one of Somali broadcasting’s pioneering voices whose career spanned the most transformative periods in Somali history.In Somali culture, news is community connection itself. For a predominantly oral society that endured colonial rule and didn’t see official Somali orthography until the 1970s, radio became the primary vessel for preserving cultural identity. Abdullahi Haji emerged as one of the most trusted voices in this tradition. The memoir chronicles Haji’s transformation from student to trailblasing broadcaster whose fearless journalism resonated across the Horn of Africa. His legendary 1972 interview with Somalia’s president Siad Barre, boldly asking “When will you return to your barracks?”, shocked listeners worldwide and defined his career. When Somalis were scattered by civil war, Haji’s voice became a unifying force connecting millions to their shared heritage and news from home. This memoir weaves personal reflections with broader themes of displacement and cultural preservation. This is the story of how radio waves carried a nation’s heartbeat.