Somaliland female singer goes on hunger strike inside Hargeisa police detention

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Somaliland female singer goes on hunger strike inside Hargeisa police detention

HARGEISA (HORN OBSERVER) – Ugbaad Mohamud Abdi, widely known as Ugbaad Aragsan, was detained on Tuesday in Hargeisa and has now initiated a hunger strike as police officers detaining her have refused family visits.

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Ugbaad, a talented young singer, often uses her music to express political views to the public. She was detained in Hargeisa, Somaliland.

HARGEISA (HORN OBSERVER) – Ugbaad Mohamud Abdi, widely known as Ugbaad Aragsan, was detained on Tuesday in Hargeisa and has now initiated a hunger strike as police officers detaining her have refused family visits.

Ugbaad is currently being held at the central police station in Hargeisa, a family source told our reporter.

Despite her family’s repeated requests, they have been denied the opportunity to see her, prompting her to embark on a hunger strike.

Kaab TV reported that as of now, no formal charges have been brought against her, according to the lawyers representing her.

However, the Somaliland police released a statement on Tuesday via their Facebook page, accusing Ugbaad Mohamud Abdi of "spreading immorality on social media that goes against religious and moral values.”

Ugbaad, a talented young singer, often uses her music to express political views to the public. Recently, she performed a rap song with lyrics condemning the Somaliland-Ethiopian deal, including the phrase "don’t sell the sea, don’t hand us over to Lafta Nagaa.”

Earlier this year, Ugbaad showed support for Puntland’s President Said Abdullahi Deni during a performance in Garowe.

She also participated in a public rally backing the Waddani opposition party of Somaliland, where she performed her now famous song in support of presidential candidate Abdirahman Irro.

Just prior to her arrest, Ugbaad had a planned music show in southern district of Hargeisa canceled by the Somaliland police, sparking protests on social media from her fans.

Social activists are increasingly alarmed by the deteriorating state of civil liberties and the suppression of freedom of expression in Somaliland.

Arrests and harassment targeting journalists, critical politicians, and ordinary citizens who voice dissent against the Somaliland administration on social media have become commonplace.

Many individuals, including the recently released MM Somali TV founder and journalist Mohamed Abdi Ilig, have fled Somaliland due to such pressures, following nearly two months of detention by the Somaliland intelligence service.