Unraveling the Mystery: Those Behind Somali Politician Amino Mohamed Abdi’s Murder Still Unexamined

Her phone rang. As MP Amino Mohamed Abdi sat across from me, nestled comfortably on her sofa, the gravity of the news she had just received seemed to hang in the air. Yet, her face portrayed an unwavering calm.

It was early February in 2022, and we found ourselves in her cozy home, tucked in a serene corner of central Mogadishu, Somalia.

“Do not sleep at home tonight; you might be attacked!” warned the voice on the other end of the line.

Later, it became clear that this call came from a fellow member of parliament. An attack was in the making, orchestrated by none other than the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). Amino’s crime? Her audacious stand against the Mogadishu regime.

“A threat in Somalia,” I told her, “is never just idle intimidation. Heed every word with the seriousness it demands.” In a land where peril lurks in the shadows, each warning echoes louder.

Thankfully, she did. With urgency, Amino summoned her driver and alerted her security team. She wasn’t taking any chances.

Threats, assassination plots, covert warnings—these were not new to her. They were all threads in the complex tapestry of her life.

Yet, defiance was her hallmark. “I will run in the 2021-2022 elections,” she declared with unshakable resolve. Dangers be damned. “Fearless,” they called her—a woman daring the spaces where only men dared dream.

The Journey of Tenacity and Resolve

Amino Mohamed Abdi was a daughter of Mogadishu, having spent her early years immersed in its vibrant culture. I recall her recounting a poignant memory from 1992—an eight-year-old returning from school to find an empty house, as civil war shrouded her neighborhood. She found refuge living with an uncle, a parliamentarian himself.

Her pursuit of justice was relentless, her focus sharp, and her determination unyielding.

In a male-dominated theater, Amino first competed for a parliamentary seat in January 2012. Clan elders scoffed. Influential male politicians sneered. Yet, she emerged victorious—not once, but twice.

Our paths first crossed in mid-2021. Over time, she sought my counsel on legislative issues. Among her passionate convictions were:

• The unsettling surge in the killings of tuk-tuk drivers in Mogadishu—a debate she ardently pushed for in parliament.
• The heartbreaking saga of Ikran Tahlil, a young government employee in cybersecurity who vanished under suspicious circumstances. As the family’s voice, I, too, faced threats, but silence was a luxury neither of us could afford.
• The parliamentary advocacy for free education for Somali children—a cause she championed with fervor, drawing from her own days as a teacher.

Whenever Amino needed encouragement, I was by her side because I believed in her. Her spirit was a beacon. The solitary woman among her male parliamentary peers, an indomitable force in a realm that tried — yet failed — to silence her.

And what a host she was. Amidst her household staff, Amino ensured her guests felt cherished, her connection to the people profound, particularly to young job seekers who saw in her a flicker of hope against the backdrop of systemic exclusion.

After a lull, I learned she had ventured to Beledweyne, Hiiraan region, to launch her re-election bid in March 2022. I quietly wished for her triumph, knowing well her unmatched caliber.

The Tragic End

It was the afternoon of March 23, 2022, when she was tragically assassinated. A lone figure, armed with a bomb, approached before setting it off within a government compound in the Hirshabelle presidential palace—supposedly a fortress of security.

Amino was just 40.

In a grim twist, as victims were rushed to medical help, a suicide car bomb decimated the road, targeting those who had rushed to the rescue.

The death toll rose to 47, with 105 others wounded, primarily civilians.

Skepticism clouds the ordeal of that day, demanding scrutiny. Notably, Amino was the sole political casualty. The bomber, apparently in military garb, gained entry to the fortified zone—despite the presence of various security forces, including African Union peacekeepers and Somali forces.

Eyewitness accounts indicate the attacker had lingered, incessantly asking for Amino by name. Other politicians and officials managed to pass unscathed. It was Amino he waited for.

If terrorism fuelled this act, why was a young female parliamentarian, with no significant title, the target? Why Amino?

The attack left scars of unanswered questions, suggesting an assassination deeply rooted in politics. Her parliamentary post was filled swiftly, absent the fervor to probe her assassination’s true nature.

“The plotters of the attack should be found, and all responsibility lies with the Somali federal government, as they are required to come clean on this murder.”

At her memorial in Mogadishu, a week later, held on March 28, 2022, I voiced those words, resolute.

A Call for Justice, Three Years On

Three years past that haunting day—justice remains elusive. No probe. No accountability.

The precision of operations and the deliberate nature of her demise evoke pressing inquiries:

• Who ordained such a tragic fate for Amino Mohamed Abdi?
• Who greased the wheels for it?
• Who orchestrated the cloak of silence?

One day, insha’Allah, we will unveil the truth and secure the justice she rightfully deserves.

Rest well, Amino Mohamed Abdi. Your bravery and spirit shall not fade from memory.

اللهم اجعل قبرها روضةً من رياض الجنة، وأبدلها دارًا خيرًا من دارها، وأهلًا خيرًا من أهلها. اللهم اجعلها من أهل الفردوس الأعلى، وارزقها النور والرحمة والمغفرة، واجمعنا بها في جنات النعيم. Ameen.

Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International–Monitoring.