Al-Shabaab suicide bomber killed mayor Abdullahi Ali Ahmed Waafow and twenty other people while Waafow was giving a speech. Demographics According to the UNDP in 2005, Merca had a population of around 63,900 inhabitants. it is primarily inhabited by 12 koofi and mashayikh tribes with there being a recognizable amount of Somalis. Transportation Merca has a jetty-class seaport, the Port of Merca. The nearest airport to the city is the K50 Airport in the Lower Shebelle province. Notable people Asha Jama, social activist, and former TV reporter and journalist. Sheikh Abibakar Gafle, described as one of the best-known resistance leaders in Southern Somalia and from Merca. Ali Maow Maalin, the last person known to have been naturally infected by Variola minor smallpox Abdullahi Ali Ahmed Waafow, former mayor of Merca and Member of Parliament See also Port of Merca Mogadishu Barawa References External links Marka, Somalia Ajuran Sultanate Populated places in Lower Shebelle Populated coastal places in Somalia