Interior Minister of Somaliland, Mohamed Kahin Ahmed
Farah Yusuf
Regional Reporter
HARGEISA—Somaliland government has announced the release of two former ministers who were arrested in Hargeisa.
The ministers were former officials who served under the deposed leader of Ethiopia’s Somali State.
They were accused of illegally sneaking into Somaliland which shares border land with Ethiopia’s Somali State following the unrest that engulfed the region after Abdi Iley was toppled from power.
The two ministers were apprehended by immigration police at Egal airport on the 21st of August who were leaving for Nairobi and were trying to depart unidentified.
They were the ex-justice minister, Hon. Ahmed Qalombi and former education minister, Hon. Ibrahim Adan Mahad.
The Home Affairs minister of Somaliland, Hon. Mohamed Kahin Ahmed said that the duo ministers were arrested after they have entered Somaliland without visa.
Most of the ministers who served under the ousted leadership of Abdi Iley are either out of work or just left their jobs with their own accord and may face justice for human right abuses in the region.
No officials in the region who is implicated gross atrocities against human rights were not being tried.
Former leader is now in house arrest in Addis Ababa and Ethiopian PM said that it is a matter for Ethiopians .
On the other hand, Somaliland authority has handed over to officials in Ethiopia’s Somali State more than 12 vehicles that were stolen and looted from Jigjiga during the turmoil which hit the region.
Somaliland security forces have seized these vehicles from Gebiley, Awdal, Togder and Marodi Jeh provinces during police operations.
Interior Minister, Hon. Mohamed Kahin Ahmed flanked by police commissioner, Brigadier General, Abdilahi Fadal Iman who spoke during the handing over of the vehicles to Ethiopian authorities said that since the eruption of unset in Jigjiga that Somaliland border patrol were on high alert and conducted operations aimed at beefing security in the border lands with Ethiopia.
Both said that they monitoring and vetting all border movements particularly Wajale, a commercial linking Somaliland to Ethiopia.
Police were praised and thanked for conducting the operations which led to the seizure of properties looted from Jigjiga.
The Ethiopian Consular to Somaliland, Mr. Berhe Tesfaye during a speech at the handing over commended the brave efforts of Somaliland which led to the seizure and confiscation of looted vehicles from Zone 5 in Ethiopia.
He commended the police who did the operations.
The seat of Ethiopia’s Somali region is now enjoying a period of peace and stability following the toppling of embattled ex-leader, Abdi Iley who is about to face trail for his crimes against humanity.
