The Canadian consulate in Nairobi has confirmed that two women with Canadian nationality, Maymun Abdi and Karima Wattis Omar have been held at a police station in Hargeisa, Somaliland since January of this year.
It is not clear what the two women are charged with, or whether they are being held under security precautions or being investigated for religious proselytism or for any other malfeasance.
The Canadian government has not clarified the nature of the two women’s occupation in Somaliland or what they were doing in the country.
There has not been official confirmation from the Somaliland government or the Somaliland Police Force as to the reason why these two women are being held in the Ibrahim Koodbur division of Hargeisa.
There are many Canadian nationals living and working in Somaliland. Recently, a Canadian couple held a traditional marriage ceremony in Hargeisa, with traditional Somali dress that become the toast of the town.
Ahmed Kheyre