Monday June 10, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) — Qali Guhad, the mother of Ikran Tahlil Farah, continues to seek justice for her daughter three years after her disappearance. Guhad revealed that the prolonged stress of her pursuit has led to severe health issues, including diabetes and high blood pressure.
Guhad made an emotional appeal to Somali leaders, including President Hassan Sheikh, Prime Minister Hamse, and Aden Madobe, urging them to fulfill their promises to address her daughter's case. "Nothing has been done yet. I am suffering and can't sleep," she said.
Ikran Tahlil, an officer with the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), was last seen on June 26, 2021, getting into a NISA-registered vehicle near her home in the Abdulaziz district of Mogadishu. Her family maintains that she was called to report to NISA headquarters before her disappearance.
The case has garnered significant public attention and political fallout. In September 2021, NISA claimed Ikran had been handed over to the militant group Al-Shabaab, who allegedly killed her. Al-Shabaab, however, denied any involvement, creating further controversy and suspicion about NISA's role in her disappearance.
NISA's current Director-General, Abdullahi Ali Sanbalolshe, suggested that Ikran might have been targeted because she possessed sensitive information about the secret deployment of Somali army recruits to Eritrea. The information is possibly related to their alleged involvement in the Tigray War in Ethiopia.
The political fallout from Ikran's disappearance led to a clash between Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed over the ourster of NISA Director Fahad Yasin. This tension exposed cracks within Somalia's government and security apparatus.
Despite various inquiries and investigations, including a military tribunal report exonerating NISA and blaming Al-Shabaab, Ikran's family has denounced the findings as a cover-up. Guhad accused President Farmajo of interfering in the case to protect those responsible within NISA.
"Ikran's case is being watched by all Somali people. They remain silent about me, and nothing has been done for me," Guhad said. She continues to call for a credible investigation to ensure justice for her daughter and to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Guhad expressed hope that the government would finally take action. "I hope something will be done about this," she added calmly.