Somalia Human Trafficking: Health Minister's Aide and Wives Vanish After Trips to Geneva and New York

by: Horn Observer Contributor | 30 September 2024 12:49

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Somalia Human Trafficking: Health Minister's Aide and Wives Vanish After Trips to Geneva and New York

MOGADISHU, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER) - A new human trafficking scandal has rocked Somalia as senior government officials are implicated in the illegal smuggling of individuals into foreign countries.

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This photo, taken on May 26, 2024, shows Somali Health Minister Ali Haji Adam attending a conference in Geneva, Switzerland. His wife second and aide, who accompanied him, have now been confirmed missing. | PHOTO/ Facebook.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER) - A new human trafficking scandal has rocked Somalia as senior government officials are implicated in the illegal smuggling of individuals into foreign countries.

Among those involved is an aide to Somalia’s Minister of Health, along with two of the minister's wives, who went missing after being trafficked into Switzerland and the U.S., Somali officials revealed.

The crisis has prompted a broader investigation, with growing concerns over the misuse of diplomatic privileges by state officials.

The scandal has unfolded amidst a wave of visa suspensions by foreign embassies, aimed at curbing the abuse of diplomatic passports for human trafficking. Just last week, the Italian Embassy in Somalia announced it was suspending all Schengen visa applications from Somali nationals. Similarly, in July, the Turkish Embassy suspended visa applications for Somali service passport holders, citing what embassy officials described as "massive abuse" of these passports for illegal smuggling.

In the latest case, Somalia's Minister of Health, Dr. Ali Haji Adam, is under scrutiny after his two wives and personal aide disappeared during official trips to Geneva, Switzerland, and New York, U.S., where they had traveled on visas granted for official government business in September last year and May this year respectively.

On September 19, 2023, Dr. Ali Haji Adam, along with his first wife, Habibo Adan Abdi, traveled to New York as part of a Somali government delegation led by Prime Minister Hamze Abdi Barre (pictured above) to attend the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78). While in New York, the minister attended several events, including a UN-organized conference on child malnutrition and a World Bank event on healthcare.

He was also invited to participate in the UN Group to Eliminate Hepatitis.

According to Somali government officials, while the minister attended these high-profile events, his wife, Habibo, was reportedly smuggled into Canada with the assistance of traffickers.

"The minister knows, and he is the one who paid for her trip to New York and then paid the men who helped Habibo cross the U.S. border illegally into Canada," said one official who requested anonymity.

It is reported that traffickers advised Habibo not to seek asylum in the U.S., encouraging her to cross into Canada, where she is currently seeking asylum.

The Prime Minister’s Office, contacted for comment on the allegations, declined to respond through its spokesperson, Farhan Jimale.

Exploiting the World Health Assembly in Geneva

The scandal deepened when details emerged of another instance of alleged trafficking involving the health minister's second wife and personal aide. Taking advantage of the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA), held in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 27 to June 1, 2024, Dr. Ali Haji Adam managed to include his second wife, Fadumo Mohamed Yusuf, and personal aide, Hassan Ali (nicknamed Aloley), among the official visa applicants.

In a Facebook post on May 27, the minister emphasized Somalia's involvement in the WHA, stating, "This year, one of the primary topics for discussion at this global conference is a proposal put forward by the Ministry of Health of Somalia, aimed at uniting the world in reducing maternal and child mortality."

As stated by the World Health Organisation, the theme of this year's assembly was "All for Health, Health for All." But indeed, behind this international platforms, the Somali minister was allegedly using it as a cover for human trafficking.

Despite his participation in the high-level discussions, only Dr. Ali Haji Adam returned to Somalia. His second wife, Fadumo, and the aide, Hassan Ali Aloley, reportedly left Geneva and crossed into Germany, where Fadumo is now seeking asylum.

Family sources say Fadumo is struggling with the language barrier and regrets her decision to flee to Germany.

Efforts to contact Minister Ali Haji Adam for comment have been unsuccessful. Although he read a text message from this reporter, he did not respond.

Meanwhile, an official from the Ministry of Health confirmed that other members of the Somali delegation, including officials from Jubbaland Health Ministry and the National Health Institute (pictured below alongside the minister during the Geneva trip), returned to Somalia, but they are unsure if the minister's family members did the same.

The Swiss Embassy in Nairobi, which issued the visas for the Geneva trip, has not yet responded to queries regarding the case. However, an official from Somalia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Horn Observer that they are investigating an official who signed a "note verbale" sent to the Swiss Embassy, which included the names of those who vanished in Geneva.

Uproar and Calls for Accountability

The scandal has caused a major uproar within the Somali government, with several Members of Parliament calling for immediate action as foreign embassies continue to suspend visa services for Somali nationals.

Omar Hashi, a Member of the Somali Federal Parliament and Special Presidential Envoy for Stabilization and Civilian Protection, acknowledged the severity of the situation, stating, "We are well aware that the visa service suspension is linked to some state officers and Members of Parliament abusing diplomatic passports for human trafficking."

Another MP Mursal Khalif expressed concerns over the impact of these revelations on the integrity of Somalia’s government institutions, particularly under Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre’s administration.

"Scandals under the Hamza Abdi Barre administration have reached new heights whilst the integrity of government institutions hits new lows. Shameful, indeed!" Khalif said.

With the scandal continuing to unfold, the Somali government faces increasing pressure both domestically and internationally to address the involvement of its officials in human trafficking and restore public trust in its institutions.