If you say the truth you can sleep at night

                                      In remembrance of Ms. Hibo Yassin Haji Yussuf

On this International Day of Peace, we wish to commemorate the life of a remarkable peacebuilder and member of our CSPPS community. We are devastated and extremely saddened by the untimely passing of one of our most committed civil society sisters, Ms. Hibo Yassin Haji Yussuf, last June at the age of 57. Hibo was a powerful voice —outspoken, honest, and unwavering in her principles. Her dedication to peacebuilding and justice inspired many within our community and beyond.

Through this brief in memoriam, we would like to remind everyone what a warm, funny, brilliant, and wonderful person Hibo was and honour her work. We pay tribute to her life and her exceptional achievements as a civil society champion.

Hibo was a truly remarkable force — principled, courageous, and steadfast in her commitment to the values we all share and strive for as peacebuilders. She was committed to the strongest values of justice and equality and dedicated to serving the cause of bringing about a more peaceful and just world. Her passion and unwavering commitment to peace and gender equality left a lasting impression on us all. 

The news of her passing has been received with utter shock and deep sadness in the peacebuilding community. The Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (CSPPS) loses an amazing and deeply loved member. For those who knew and worked with her, they are losing not only a colleague, but also a close friend and a mentor. For the broader community, we have lost a determined and strong advocate for peace and justice.

Through Hibo’s tireless work and unwavering dedication, she touched the lives of countless people. As the Executive Director and Head of Policy Unit at IIDA Women’s Development Organisation and focal point for the CSPPS Country Team in Somalia, Hibo left her mark on our work. Full of hope and trust in what could be achieved by civil society organisations, she believed that only the true inclusion of local voices could solve local problems. 

Although she could have opted for a comfortable life in Italy, Hibo decided to return to Somalia to be “part of the solution”. Spending most of her life working with local communities, Hibo always pushed for change to happen. She sought a “just and democratic Somalia, where the new generation [and with that also her beloved nieces] will never have to go through what [her] generation had gone through”, as she explained in her statement during the side-event to the UNSC’s open debate on peace operations and human rights in 2020. With this vision in mind, her organisation managed to table the first law against Female Genital Mutilation in the Federal Member State of Galmudug, Somalia. 

Hibo made peacebuilding her lifelong mission. She always chose justice over vengeance, forgiveness over hatred, but most importantly, truthful action over comfort. She will continue to light the path for so many peacebuilders.

With this memoriam, we share snippets of a video that was shot during the last FriEnt Peacebuilding Forum in 2024. Here, you will hear Hibo speak about her work, the importance of leadership and the need to tell the truth to those you liaise with.

Her powerful voice will be strongly missed, and there is no doubt that her legacy will inspire her close friends, colleagues and loved ones, as well as the next generation of peacebuilders. 

Hibo’s legacy will live on through the countless lives she touched and the work she so passionately championed. On behalf of CSPPS, FriEnt and all our members, we extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and all those who had the privilege to work alongside her.

May she rest in peace.

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