HARGEISA (Somalilandpress) — A Sri Lankan citizen of Russian native was detained for questioning after he was caught attempting to smuggle a 13 year old girl from Puntland, Haatuf reports.
Asha Mohamed Hassan, 13, from Qardho in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, went to her usual work on Friday 5th of February in one of the local beauty salons where girls occasionally get their hands and feet decorated with henna. On that same day, an Italian woman, also a regular client, whose mother is said to be Somali came to the salon.
Asha told Haatuf, the Italian woman lured her with the promise of a job in Hargeisa that was paying $600 per month. She was told she will be working for a family as a housemaid, doing basic household chores.
“The Italian woman, who I met before asked if I wanted to work in Hargeisa, I told her, I tried before to go to Hargeisa to find a job but did not work out for me. However I told her if she would pay for my journey I was ready to go,” she said.
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After getting her clothes, Asha was forced into the boot of a car to avoid being seen by her sisters who run their own stalls in one of the central markets.
“She then asked me to get my belongings and be ready, there was a car leaving for Hargeisa tomorrow. After getting all my belongings she took me to a house in the out skirts of the city where she lived, a moment later a Mark II car approached us and she told the driver to hide me in the boot from my sisters and the guards at the check-points,” she told Haatuf.
Once they left the town of Qardho, Asha said, she was moved to the front seat of the car and crossed the border after few hours.
While traveling through the city of Buaro, Somaliland’s second largest town, the driver was contacted by a man who stated that the girl was to be delivered to him.
Once they arrived in Hargeisa, Asha claims, she was delivered to a ‘white man with damaged skin’. The man is actually a Sri Lankan who suffers from leprosy, a chronic skin disease. She added she was in a state of shock, disbelieve and distressed as she thought she would be working for a family not a man.
“I told him, I don’t know you and I will not go with you, he then requested I speak to my sister referring to the Italian woman,” she said.
The driver took the girl to one of his relatives in Hargeisa where she is currently staying. Later she find out that the Sri Lankan man was detained by the police and is said to be in prison.
Asha has since contacted her family and his in good spirit.
In a press conference in Hargeisa today, Somaliland police Chief, Col. Mohamed Shiil Dibar said they have detained a Sri Lankan man of Russian origin. He said, the man, who lived in Qardho for five years wanted to take the girl to Russia. He warned Somaliland parents to be alert and at all times monitor their children.
No one knows if the driver will face any charges and Puntland has not commented either and no one knows if the Italian woman in the centre of the trafficking is detained.
In a similar incident, a young girl is currently held in Burao by the regional authority after she was kidnapped by an Oromo lady (ethnic group in Ethiopia) and sold her to two Ethiopian men.
Halima Osman Bile, the mother, said her daughter went missing midday in the town of Bandar Bayla in Puntland, near the northern tip of Somalia, where pirate base Eyl is more popular.
The little girl was taken to Puntland’s commercial town of Bosaaso before she was smuggled into Somaliland.
She is currently held in Burao by the local authority as police investigate the matter. The case is still under review.
No one knows the number of children trafficked, kidnapped or smuggle each year between Somaliland and Somalia but there has been a sharp increase in recent years due to the lack of border patrols and influx of immigrants. Child smuggling was unheard of in Somaliland and Puntland but in recent years there have been an influx of immigrants displaced in Ethiopia and Southern Somalia, where kidnapping children is more common.
It was not long ago, when a lady from Southern Somalia also kidnapped a two year old child from the town of Las Anod before her family informed the police.
In early February of this year, Somaliland’s minister of Family Affairs and Social Development, Ms. Fatima Sudi voiced her concern about the new problem of human trafficking.
“This is something new to us but widely known in the war torn places. It is called human trafficking,” she said.
Ms. Sudi said her Ministry has been working hard in finding a viable solution to the issue and dealing with the tremendous immigration problem.
“We thank [the] UN & NGOs, who had assisted us with the problem of human trafficking. We extend special thanks to the government of Japan, who funded IOM to assist us on these matters,” the minister said.
“There are people who are experts on carrying out human trafficking activities. They lure people, they tell them that there are better places with better life, but at the end those innocent lives will be exploited.”
Ms. Sudi said they will be launching massive awareness campaign and very soon huge billboards will go up in the regions of Awdal, Hargeisa, Sahil, Togdheer and Baligubadle.
According to an analyst, most of the trafficking involve immigrants or foreigners in the country.
Source: Somalilandpress, 23 February 2010
This is so shocking to see its closer to home our children! but its no surprise. There has been issues of kidnapping in our region for long while now and there has not been any concrete investigations. I hope we can protect our young ones. There is no safeguarding for trafficked Somali origin children and there has been allegation that children as young as 2 years old have been seen in France with no Somali Families….
Till when we realize that we are not doing enough to secure and take care of our people, our boarder needs to be patrolled, and we must issue ID cards for everyone it is essential step, to overcome terrorism and human trafficking, we need to take notable measures to solve this matter. Otherwise this problem will expand and become so difficult to be resolved. While taking into consideration the various complications and the humanitarian situation that those from Somalia and Ethiopia have, we must systematize and monitor the situation, and in some cases like the Ethiopians or the Djiboutians we must put some fees for entering to our towns. The security issue is very delicate and important for our survival on if we take on consideration the surrounding hustle environment we are.
Till when we realize that we are not doing enough to secure and take care of our people, our boarder needs to be patrolled, and we must issue ID cards for everyone it is essential step, to overcome terrorism and human trafficking, we need to take notable measures to solve this matter. Otherwise this problem will expand and become so difficult to be resolved. While taking into consideration the various complications and the humanitarian situation that those from Somalia and Ethiopia have, we must systematize and monitor the situation, and in some cases like the Ethiopians or the Djiboutians we must put some fees for entering to our towns. The security issue is very delicate and important for our survival on if we take on consideration the surrounding hustle environment we are.
This is terrible news that these people are stealing our kids. This issue has been addressed with identity cards already operatng in bossaso. You can read it here to fnd out more.
http://horseedmedia.net/2009/11/dadweynaha-bosaas…
The identity cards only operate in bossaso but i hope it expands out into all major cities of puntland by the end of this year. Their are russians, sri lankans, ethiopians, and even zambians in puntland and we need to keep track of them and also track of ourselves.
With every passing day Somaliland's decision to restore its independence is validated. Old Somalia has become a haven for the scum of the earth. Pirates, terrorist, child abducters, peodophiles and who knows what else. ID's are the way to, any and every Somaliland should be issued with one, even its a basic item. We must place more emphasis on our borders. The people of Somaliland are a vigilant lot, and without their help a lot of crimes might have gone undetected.
Still, more needs to be done. Somaliland will not become a useless entity like Somalia.
With each passing day Somaliland decision to restore its independence has been validated. Old Somalia has become a place for the world's worst human beings, pirates, terrorist, child abducters and who knows what else.
ID's are the way to go, even if they are basic. Every Somalilander should be issued with one. The people of Somaliland are a vigilant lot, without their help a lot of crimes would go undetected. Nevertheless, more needs to be done. We must secure our bordes, and keep track of non-Somaliland in our midst.
May be he was detained, but he is free like a dove…………….in Hargeisa dealing with precious stones. By the way, he is a Srilankan of Russian decent.
That's sick and these so called Hargeisa authoriy need to be all dismissed unless they are protecting the citizens specially the children. It makes me angry, what a sick useless old men they are. He properly bribed them the khat addicts.
It is thanks to Somaliland authorities that a child is saved once more.
Remeber that Mr FagaXXsh
It is thanks to Somaliand authority that another child is saved. Remeber that Mr jealuous nobody from MJland
It amuses me allot when see the comments of some readers instead of getting angry and show support for their somali people they insult and become happy.
This is axactly the way our enemy wants us to act. I really feel sorry for the Somali people at large to busy with tribal idealogy to focus on the real facts such as unity and progress as well as there common enemy ethiopia and kenya which occupy their lands and people.
Some of you might think that isaaqland will get independence forget about it as long as their are Somali hardcore nationalists like xadraawi and many more such Siilaanyo there will never be SomaliLand.
It amuses me allot when see the comments of some readers instead of getting angry and show support for their somali people they insult and become happy.
People like Obsiye do not represent us Somalilanders, they are disgrace this has nothing to do with politics you sick man they are little children for God sake get your head out off the gutter.
They think every thing is for insulting other Somalis, tomorrow it will be Burao and Hargeisa and this is something all Somalis should unify for, one front, children always come first.
Its regretful that these sort of things have came to our land, I say deport all the Ethiopian refugees and other foreigners unless they doing something (jobs).
We also need to restrict borders and airports as well as the seaports.
They are worst than the pirates and if it was me I do execute them all.
somaliland citizenship and immigration departement needs to understand imposing & implementing taugher rules and regulations in the country.
how it happened that Russian origin individual to remain in somaliland with out un-identified purpose or if possibly legal documentations?
I personally find this disgusting. This is the second time this has occurred. But what is strange is, why are they always taken to somaliland? is their child porn ring set up there!!! Anyways This issue needs to be addressed immediately!!!
Walaahi ooo walaahi this website will create hatred among the Somali people by their wrtitings which are dragonian to all of us. he says int he article " Bandar Bayla in Puntland, near the northern tip of Somalia, where pirate base Eyl is more popular."
I am a Somali loving person but when reading this walaahi it shows me that this is just another tribe waging war against another and it will only cause disaster
Samatar. If you don't like the website, then you are free to leave at any time. This website is not dedicated to hating anything. The comments you object come from individuals, and they have the right to their opinion. In Somaliland, we have something callled freedom of expression and speech. I suppose you are unfamiliar with this concept. I suggest you learn to have a thick skin and respect other people's opinion, if they are opposed to yours.
Somalilanders do not hate Somalis, it is just we have experienced a thirty year union with people who don't have the same ethics, ideas and goals, and frankly, we don't want to have anything to this any more. Simple as that.
Why is the Somaliland police wasting our tax dollars on Bugland kids, they need to deport her back and worry about the safety of Somalilander kids
Elmi,
What if that was your daughter? I am a SOmalilander and I am glad that the police are saving these kids. Both governmnets should cooperate on issues like this as it benefits both sides.
Tax payers kulaha sxb you watch too much Fox News – these are kids go take your hatred some where else. Wax kastaba siyasad mahaa get a brain from Ebay.
Peace
That's messed up man!! walahi we somalilanders are to kind and welcoming to foreigners!! It's time to start treating foreigners like sh** in our country! walahi lets deport all those ungrateful hawiyes and oromos! No wonder why the Amharas hate oromos! now i know why!
Walahi i can't wait till i move back home!! haha walahi i swear to Allah almighty no foreigner would get away with things if more somalilanders were rawdie like me!. I'll make sure foreigners get treated lke sh**!!
Lucky for this guy i'm not part of the somaliland police walahi i would have tortured the hell out of this fool!! Now i know why the south africans started killing all the other african immigrants! And if our police don't start treating foreigners bad and dporting them we somalilanders will do the jobs with our guns!
Kick all the non somalilanders out of somaliland unless they are in somaliland for one good reason.
Viva somaliland
Oromo like the people of South Somalia (Somalia) are nasty and dirty, they sell each others and complain later. We can not allow them to operate in the country freely, the Amhara did not kick them out for no reason.
Honestly Somalilanders need education about foreigners they too naive and nice to foreigners, its time they kicked them out.
Amhara are more educated than Oromo from villages with voodo and other tribal practices including human trafficking and slavery.
They are not refugees they just come to beg (dont like to work they like taking advantage of nice and humble people like our people). We have to keep the geniune refugees and deport the rest.
Mr Interior wake up before those foreigners eat our kids, you will be responsible for this!
@Kayse
Your disrespectful and outright INCORRECT analysis of Oromo is wrong! First off Oromos leave Ethiopia because of civil strife which come in the form of police brutality, unlawful imprisonment and torture not because of Economic reasons like many people think, even though it is a factor.
When Oromos come to Somaliland they are treated badly needless to say. We are already marginalized in Ethiopia and when we escape crimes done to us there we are discriminated in the areas we escape too.
In somaliland, Oromos are insulted as they live in substandard burning hot living conditions and are victim to Ethiopian extrajudicial killings that are sometimes allowed by Somaliland officials. This not what a healthy young country does when it desperately wants to be internationally recognized(or do they?).
So i dont understand where you get the the idea that somalilanders have been nice and welcoming to Oromos they have been the exact opposite with also working with Ethiopian miltias who try to kidnap them and commit unthinkable crimes against them.
Somaliland is country with a 70% unemployment rate so that explains of all the people with no jobs! If there were jobs available they would work them but since there arent whole lot of them there thus the reason of the unemployed people is explainable.
Amhara did NOT kick out Oromos from Ethiopia because they the Amhara themselves leave too. In fact Amhara have not lead in governance in Ethiopia for more than 30 years! In the capital city Addis Ababa, majority of the homeless people(mostly kids) come from northern ethiopia and from the Amhara ethnic group.
"Amhara are more educated than Oromo from villages with voodo and other tribal practices including human trafficking and slavery."
No Oromo practice voodoo!!! Dont know where you got this but just doesn't happen. Only like less than 3% of Oromos actually follow the traditional religion and even that doesn't involve voodoo and about human trafficking if you are talking about trying to escaping to Yemen, somalis also do take part in this affair otherwise slavery doesn't exist.
"They are not refugees they just come to beg (dont like to work they like taking advantage of nice and humble people like our people). We have to keep the geniune refugees and deport the rest."
Really?? well the UNHCR disagree…….and again if there were jobs they would work them.
First of all I would like to appologize to you and the Oromo people in general. I admit I went over it but that was because of the story and emotions rather than logical thoughts.
I don't know how 38 million Oromo is treated this way in their land when they represent at least 40% of Ethiopia's population.
Somaliland is not perfect, we are still learning about the people of Somalia whom we shared a country once, how on earth are we suppose to know about the Oromos and their issues. I mean we know the basics and that but in thems of socializing, interacting, tolerance, its new ball game to us.
If Oromo people come to Somaliland and join us and contribute I am sure we will learn to love them.
soamliland is not a real court deal with it