Child Trafficking in Puntland
Boosaaso (SDN)-A man stands accused of kidnapping nine children with the intent of selling them on the black market according to the High Court of Bari Region.
Ibraahim Cumar Liibaan a 40 year old from south central Somalia has been accused of trying to sell the children overseas. The children are believed to be from the village of Buulo-Mareer in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia.
Their ages are estimated to be between five and eight years old and seven of the kidnapped children are girls. it is believed that the accused planned to migrate illegally to Saudi Arabia where he had intentions to profit off the children.
The head of the High Court in the region of Bari, Sheekh Aadan Aw-Axmed spoke to journalists today regarding the sentence handed down to the accused. He said that the court was not moved by the defense given by Liibaan in light of the overwhelming evidence of his guilt. He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison.
The phenomenon of illegal migration in Somalia has risen in the last decade. Puntland in particular has become a gateway for people migrating to Yemen and the Arab peninsula. Most migrate in order to find work or refugee status in other countries. It is considered a last resort for those trying to escape poverty and insecurity in south central Somalia. The majority of those who migrate or “tahriib” are young men willing to undertake the perils involved with maritime travel. They risk arrest and in most cases abandonment by their guides. Death by drowning, dehydration, and exposure to the elements are also common occurrences.
While there have been some cases of children illegally migrating with relatives, it still remains extremely rare. This case is the first of its kind and has baffled the public due to the trafficking of children for profit and the audacity of the accused in undertaking the dangerous journey between Somalia and Yemen with children.
Poor security in Somalia under the Transitional Federal Government and recent drought and famine has left many children orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable to predators.
SDN-Boosaso