Najma: The Abduction Case

As Mogadishu mourned the death of more than twenty civilians in the last two days, another depressing tale hit the airwaves today. But in a country afflicted with endless woes and suffering, the story of this young girl is not very unusual.

When a bus was stopped at the city control in Xudur, Bakool region, for a random check by Al-Shabaab administration, the shocking details of dreadful deed came to the surface. In the back of the bus was a woman holding a child in her lap; the child seemed to be fast asleep and, from the outward appearance, peaceful. But when the search was prolonged for some time, the annoyed passenger turned around to the screams of a panic-stricken child in the back. The ‘mother’ tried hopelessly to smother the child with kisses and soothing words, gently rocking her back and forth in her lap, as a mother would, to silence her but to no avail.

And when the child’s screams intensified and she began screaming ‘help! Help! The plot quickly unfolded. Najma Maxamad Shire, as the child identified herself, was a 12-year-old girl abducted from Bosaaso, more than a thousand kilometres away from where she was.

A Tanzanian man, who said his name was Ramadan Abdallah, and sat at the front of the bus was caught at the checkpoint, about 90 KM away from the Ethiopian border, accompanied by a Somali woman, Faduma Qasim Abdullahi, who claimed to be the mother of the child. And though this worrying trend of abduction has long been talked about here in Somalia, its hideous face has rarely been seen this clear and brazen. Travelling on land, it is thought that, throughout the journey, the couple administered a constant dose of sedatives to tranquilise the girl. The effects wore off just at the right time.

Najma’s father, an elderly man whose feeble voice was heard on the airwaves, broken up by bouts of silences and coughs, spoke to the journalists profusely thanking the Islamists:

‘we sent her to the shop to buy groceries…but…she never returned. Some people told us…that…a woman placed something on her nose…and led her away. We haven’t heard from her for 15 days. May Allah reward you!’

Najma is among the hundreds of children kidnapped from the streets of Somalia every month. The family of the child also confirmed that similar stories have been circulating widely in the North Eastern port city of Bosaaso. It is only a wonder how they managed to cross thousands of kilometres through Puntland without being noticed by the authorities; not to mention the infamous Puntland Intelligence Service (or rather Puntland Intelligence Agency)

Nonetheless, Al-Shabaab, who govern by a strict Sharia code, have vowed to sentence them according to the Shariah Law. And if thieves are getting their hands chopped off, one can only wonder what sentence awaits these child abductors?

I have personally heard of several stories of young children abducted from Somalia. These children, as legend has it, were either sold into slavery or taken to Europe where their organs were sold. Almost all of the kidnappers were Somali women luring the children with money or promises of taking them abroad. Though I usually dismissed such tales, only today have I come to realise the gravity of the situation!

How many more children, I wonder, have gone missing without a trace!

About Mogadishu Man
Blogging from Mogadishu seems somewhat inconceivable doesn't it?

4 Responses to Najma: The Abduction Case

  1. Thanks to the Alshabaabs for that noble act, children have been exploited by many categories of people and organization because some times they lack the protection they require especially in stateless geographical regions like Somalia. They are taken for marriage at tender ages ending up with parmanet rapture of their gentilia making them suffer from fistula, used for child labour, may organs as you say, and the most evident child abuse in these parts of the world is child insurgents. It is said they are druged to incite them to be used as sucide bombers, as explosives are strapped around their bodies and told to die as matyrs. It is also said that all types of education is denied to them because it is said to be un wholly. You cannot imagine how entire generations are being wiped out because of the lack of reasoning of some of these selfish people.
    I have seen on articles posted by some of these militias these kids of not more than 14 paraded as a Force i just wonder if they are not the very ones i see as casualitie of conflicts the next day in the same articles.


  2. mogadishuman says:

    RM, why do I sense that you have become rather intoxicated with the Western media mantra! And unless you see Somalia from this perspective, it would be unwise to regurgitate the old catchphrases.

  3. Mr MM, Media is media there is no West, East , South or North the If what has been written ,aired or broadcast in any way is not correct then you can air out what you think is correct to show where others are wrong. I see Somalia from a wholistic point of view and i know all the dark forces that are hiding behind idealogy to exploit this measary of the innocent populations. I am aware of the stateless and lawlessness situation that is being exploited by gangs of mafia style Chiefs to keep the defenceless people in perpetual domination. These include pirates, arms dealers , human traffickers, drug dealers and all other types of illicite organizations which know that formal institutions are a threat to their survival. It is not western media Mr MM, these people claim their actions of barberisme and display what they do openly in their own website. They take hostages and claim ransome, they take teritorie and claim taxes, they steal from the poor and they call it zaka. this is not west it is happening right there where you are and all they hate is uncovering them.

    But of course these guys are victimes of the prevailing situation . They are looking for a leaving as thier generations missed out on descent and formal societies . They to be corrected other than being applause because it is Somalia they are leaving in the dark not the rest of the world.

  4. Tuke says:

    Waxaa ay matalaysaa dandarada iyo burburka Ummadda Soomaaliyeed.

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