Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Daily Nation
Published on 2024-01-30 04:05:00
Ismail Mohamed, also known as Oscar Maley, left Kenya last December, and his family was overjoyed, believing that he had the opportunity to change their fortune. They thought he had been recruited to join the military in Russia. However, their joy turned to devastation upon learning that he was being held in Libya after being recruited locally to join the military there.
Ms Mariam Abdullahi Hussein, Ismail’s sister, expressed shock at the news, as her brother had always talked about going to Russia. Ismail had previously worked for several local radio stations in Mandera town and had even run for the Neboi MCA seat in the 2017 elections, but had lost. He moved to Mandera from Moyale in 2015 and later crossed into Somalia on October 5, 2023. He returned to Mandera after a few weeks in Mogadishu in the company of a local man and then disappeared again.
His friend, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, expressed shock at seeing a video clip of Ismail in Libya being beaten. The friend confirmed that there are businessmen recruiting youths to join the military in Russia and Syria. Ismail’s family has since sent a million shillings to the captors in Libya to set him free, but the captors are demanding another million shillings.
The family revealed that Ismail had arrived in Libya on December 15, 2023, and his captors called a day later demanding two million shillings. They managed to raise half the amount but are still struggling to come up with the full sum. “Magafe” is the nickname given to a Libyan warlord who makes a business out of kidnapping immigrants heading to Europe through the Sahara Desert. After being paid, Magafe takes the immigrants across the desert to the coastline and hands them over to other human traffickers who charge them to take them across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe through Italy.
To raise funds to free Ismail, a WhatsApp group was started in Mandera where local politicians and senior government officials contributed funds. Ismail’s case has brought to light the trend of recruiting youths into militia groups in Northern Kenya by luring them with job opportunities. Confidential security reports have indicated the presence of recruiters targeting youths across the three counties of Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera.
Governor Ahmed Abdullahi of Wajir revealed that there is a recruitment drive in Northern Kenya disguised as military job opportunities in Syria, Israel, and Russia, while in reality, youths are being lured into joining militant groups such as Al-Shabaab and Isis. Abdullahi urged the youths not to be deceived and warned recruiters and radicalizers that the government is aware of their activities and will take decisive action against them.
Despite this revelation, North Eastern Regional Coordinator John Otieno denied knowledge of any ongoing recruitment of youths into militia groups from the region. However, a family in Mandera has been fundraising to bring their kin back home from Libya. Governor Abdullahi made these revelations when launching the first phase of the Kazi Mtaani programme in Wajir, aiming to employ youth to clean up the town and unclog drainage post-El Niño rains.
Abdullahi emphasized the need to keep youths occupied in constructive activities to prevent them from falling prey to radicalization and extremism. The clean-up exercise is part of the county’s goal of making Wajir Municipality plastic-free and improving sanitation to combat mosquito-borne diseases.
