Ikran Tahlil case: Farmajo-Qatar allies attempts to cover up investigation
Somalia– The investigation into the unprecedented disappearance and killing of female intelligence officer Ikran Tahlil Farah has unearthed several shocking revelations about the Somali leadership under president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo.
Kenya-born 24-year-old Ikran Tahlian Farah was appointed to Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) in 2017, following which she quickly rose to power as the head of the information analysis department. As part of her job, she got access to sensitive information related to the dirty work of the Farmajo government and its allies, including assassinations, sexual blackmail, and repression of opposing voices. Moving forward in her profession, she began losing faith in the administration and decided to flee the country to Britain on accounts of higher education.
As per media reports, NISA Director (at that time) Fahad Yasin, became discontent with Ikran’s escape and attempted to hamper her life over the fear that she would leak information about their fraudulent actions.
Yasin, a close ally of president Farmajo, served as a mediator of funds and intelligence information between the Qatari regime and terrorist groups in the Horn of Africa during his period as NISA chief. Encouraged by Qatari money through Yasin’s support, Somali President Farmaajo was able to legalise fraud in the country’s elections.
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A media report has claimed that Yasin took advantage of Tahlil’s friendship to lure her to return to the country. Upon her return, Yasin reportedly supervised a plan to kidnap and torture her. Informed sources told the author of the report that Ikran Tahlil was subjected to heinous physical and psychological torture along with multiple attempts of rape which eventually killed her in custody.
She went missing on June 26 2021, near the agency’s headquarters in Mogadishu. While the NISA alleged that its agent had been killed by Al-Shabaab militia, the group denied any involvement in Tahlil’s missing. Noting the alleged involvement of Fahad Yasin, it is reported that Tahlil has been killed at the hands of the Somali intelligence. Farmajo’s allies have time and again rejected the claims and attempted to sabotage an investigation into Tahlil’s killing. At the same time, the Somali leader has been ensuring all possible efforts to cover up the ongoing probe.
Reportedly, Somali prime minister Mohamed Hussein Roble had also ordered the former spy chief Fahad Yasin to present a report on the death of the female spy. Yasin was later sacked by the prime minister for failing to do so. Tahlil’s parents have accused Fahad Yasin of involvement in the missing of their daughter after the former NISA Director failed to produce proper evidence into Ikran’s whereabouts. They have also filed a petition within the military tribunal court, asking the authority to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The UN and the African Union Mission in Somalia have also called for a credible investigation into Tahlil’s disappearance in order to avoid any actions that could lead to violence in the country.