Concerns mount over detention and torture of 6 Isaaq men held in Somalia's NISA detention in Mogadishu

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Concerns mount over detention and torture of 6 Isaaq men held in Somalia's NISA detention in Mogadishu

HARGEISA (HORN OBSERVER) - Somaliland officials have voiced deep concern over the ongoing detention and reported torture of six Isaaq men currently held in Mogadishu by Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA).

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Five of the six Isaaq men currently held by Somalia's NISA in Mogadishu.

HARGEISA (HORN OBSERVER) - Somaliland officials have voiced deep concern over the ongoing detention and reported torture of six Isaaq men currently held in Mogadishu by Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA).

The detainees were apprehended on February 15 following the assassination of Abdinasir Muse Dahable, an air traffic controller murdered in Mogadishu on February 18, in what is suspected to be a politically motivated assassination plot.

Dr. Essa Kayd, Somaliland's Foreign Minister, has spoken out against the situation, highlighting the plight of Somaliland citizens in Mogadishu who have faced arbitrary arrests by government agencies in recent months.

Dr. Kayd emphasized that the detainees, who have been held without charges since February 15, are reportedly being subjected to torture and denied their right to due process.

"For the last few months Somaliland citizens in Mogadishu have been experiencing unprecedented arbitrary arrests by government agencies. We have been following these incidents closely & are communicating with International partners, donors and human rights agencies urging them to intervene immediately." Dr. Kayd stated on X.

"Particularly 6 Somaliland citizens who have been under arrest since February 15th with no charges. We have been receiving disturbing reports that they are being tortured and being held without court arraignment."

Last week, Members of Parliament from Isaaq clans in Mogadishu shed light on the harrowing conditions endured by the detained men, revealing instances of brutal torture and inhumane interrogation techniques, including allegations of sexual assault by NISA officials.

MP Osman Dubbe disclosed that NISA had attempted to coerce confessions from the detainees, even resorting to video recordings during interrogations.

The names of the six detained men and their affiliations with international organizations are as follows:

1. Mubarik Nur Ali (contracted by the The International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO)

2. Nuradin Ileeye (contracted by the The International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO)

3. Abdirahman Abdilahi (contracted by the The International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO)

4. Khalif Salaf (contracted by the The International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO)

5. Mohamed Abdirahman (WFP employee)

6. Almis Saleeban (WFP employee)

Despite mounting pressure, the Somali government and its security agencies have yet to provide an official response to the allegations.

The discovery of Dahable's body in his apartment sparked outrage, leading to his burial in Hargeisa on February 25. Prior to the burial, medical examinations conducted in Hargeisa revealed signs of severe torture, including strangulation marks, indicating a brutal ordeal before his untimely death.

NISA remains the primary suspect in Dahable's assassination, with the agency's former director, Mahad Salad, being relieved of his duties in early April. Salad has since left the country, complicating any potential investigations into the matter.