Day: September 2, 2021

Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said Thursday that the terrorist group al-Shabab had killed a female employee who was abducted in Mogadishu in June. But close family members questioned the claim.

Ikran Tahlil Farah, 24, worked with the agency’s cybersecurity department. She was abducted June 26 near her home in Mogadishu’s Abdulaziz district, which is close to NISA headquarters.

The agency posted a brief statement on its website Thursday saying its investigation had determined that the young woman’s kidnappers handed her over to al-Shabab militants, who later killed her.

The agency did not release details about when or where it believed Ikran was killed.

Al-Shabab has not publicly acknowledged any role in Ikran’s disappearance. The Islamist extremist group previously has publicly executed people it accused of spying for the Somali government and for Western countries, including the United States.

The security agency issued its statement several hours after VOA’s Somali Service aired a radio program that focused on Ikran’s disappearance. Colonel Abdullahi Ali Maow, a former Somali intelligence official who was a guest on the program, speculated that the Islamist terrorist group was involved in Ikran’s fate.

‘This is a smokescreen’

But the young woman’s mother, Abdullahi Ali Maow, said she thought her daughter might be alive and detained in a clandestine location.

“I do not believe that al-Shabab killed my daughter, because when she was kidnapped, she was with people she trusted in the agency,” said the mother, who was also a guest on the program. “I think she is being held somewhere, and this is a smokescreen.”

Former NISA Director-General Abdullahi Ali Sanbalolshe told VOA Somali in July that “some people” told him Ikran had records about a program that secretly sent Somali military recruits to Eritrea to train. Allegations surfaced in June that those recruits have been fighting and dying in Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict.

Ikran “also could possess other sensitive information for which she could have been targeted,” Sanbalolshe said, noting that he hired the young woman in 2017.

Opposition leaders have been pressuring Somalia’s spy agency and Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble for information about the disappearance of the intelligence agency employee.

Source: Voice of America

Here at the Refugee Empowerment Center—people are hard at work looking to welcome Afghanistan refugees coming to the United States, some of which will call Omaha home.

A worker at REC said that the organization has resources available to refugees. He would know better than most about what that help means for refugees—he used to be one.

“[I worked on] projects for United Nations, agencies and also for other non-governmental organizations in Africa, and I’m here right now in Omaha, helping refugee programs- Refugee Empowerment Center,” said Gorod Daful, Director of Programs at REC.

Gorod Daful was born in Somalia during a time of civil war. As a young child he moved to Kenya as a refugee, then later the United States.

He’s lived here for about 14 years- now, he works for the agency that helped change his life.

“[We were escaping persecution], there was a civil war in Somalia in 90-91, and everybody was fleeing for their lives,” said Daful. “People were actually running from the proto-killings by the militia people.”

Refugee empowerment Center is one of a few organizations in Omaha that help refugees.

This can be anything from housing assistance, finding employment, transportation and more.

Other organizations include Lutheran Family Services, Omaha Refugee Task Force One, and Restoring Dignity.

Daful said, “We do resettle a few refugees every year. Refugee Empowerment has been here in Omaha for almost 20 years. They started doing resettlement in 2001.”

Now the organization is working on a pilot initiative. This would give refugees a community sponsor or volunteer to help in their initial resettlement.

The initiative is still in the works, but the foundation for it has been laid out.

They hope they can make the resettlement as smooth as possible by having someone who is familiar with the community and can translate.

Source: Somali National News Agency

Mogadishu The National Intelligence and Security Agency has on Thursday evening revealed that missing security agent, Ikran Tahlil Farah was killed by Al-Shabaab.

Ikran Tahlil Farah, a member of the National Intelligence and Security Agency Staff (NISA) has been missing since 26/6/2021.

Following a lengthy investigation conducted by NISA, a report has emerged indicating that Ikran Tahlil have been captured and Killed by Al-Shabaab terrorists.

The National Intelligence and Security Agency has handed over the details of Ikran Tahlil’s case to the relevant authorities and has also shared the recent findings with the deceased’s family.

NISA extends its condolences to Ikran’s family, relatives, and to all staff of the Agency.

The Agency is pursuing the perpetrators of this heinous murder and will be brought to justice.

Source: Somali National News Agency