Ayanle Hassan, Qoyste’s son, told SJS that his father, who was diabetic, fell ill on Friday night and was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The late Qoyste was a veteran journalist and one of the most remarkable radio journalists in Somalia, known for his distinctive and memorable voice. He first worked as an archive manager at the Ministry of Labour of the Somali central government in the 1980s before joining the print media in Mogadishu in the early 1990s, as the country descended into civil war.

Qoyste became involved in journalism after his family moved from Beledweyne in central Somalia to Mogadishu, where his father worked as a police instructor during the final years of Somalia’s central government.

He rose to prominence in the early 2000s when he hosted a radio talk-show programme featuring the story of Maana-faay, one of the most popular modern Somali-language love novels, rooted in the kindness and affectionate culture of Mogadishu’s traditional Banadiri community. The novel was written by the late Mohamed Dahir Afrah, one of Somalia’s prominent novelists, who also passed away in 2021.

Qoyste’s show also featured Adeegto ("Housemaid”), a novel about a young Somali rural girl who moved to the city, and began a job as a domestic worker, and encountered a cruel and abusive treatment.

These radio programmes attracted millions of young listeners in Mogadishu and around through FM radio at the time.

Qoyste worked for Radio HornAfrik and Somali Television Network (STN), as it was then known, before joining the Voice of America (VOA).

Ayanle told SJS that his father was his mentor and that he himself later followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a journalist.

"We mourn Qoyste’s death and extend our condolences to his family. He was a friend of SJS and often sought our advice on press freedom issues. SJS is proud to have participated in several of Qoyste’s radio talk shows, and we deeply salute his courageous journalism, bravery, and distinctive voice,” said SJS President Mohamed Ibrahim.