MOGADISHU–Reports from Buuloburde district in Hiiraan province state that members of the Somali National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) were abducted last night. According to reports, the three members arrived in Buuloburde town last Friday. It has been reported that an armed group kidnapped the three members from the heart of the town. The armed group responsible for the abduction is said to strongly oppose the way the Somali Federal Government is handling the country’s elections, which have been marred by political standoff. The three men who were abducted left Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, on Friday and had been in Buuloburde conducting training for employees of NIEBC who will manage the local council elections scheduled to take place in the district in April of this year. They had boarded a plane from Adden Adde International Airport and were delivering election equipment to Buuloburde district. During their stay in the town, they resided in the house of Buuloburde District Commissioner, Mr. Hassan Mohamed Abdi. It is believed that they were abducted from there. Efforts are currently underway to secure the release of the men in Buuloburde district, and it is believed that they are being held captive in the east of the town.
