Stand-off in Somali consulate in Yemen as official declines to leave office

Somali consular to Yemen Ahmed Sudan was recalled two times to Mogadishu in the last two months but declined, Goobjoog News has learnt as accusations against the official from Somalis in the conflict ridden country emerge.

Sources in the Somali embassy which is operating in a temporary office in Aden following evacuation from the capital Sana’ah as a result of the ongoing conflict told Goobjoog News the consular  rejected communication from the Foreign Affairs ministry in Mogadishu for two times.

“He was sent two letters in the months of July and August this year but refused to return. He was not fired but just recalled as is normal practice,” the source who did not want be named because he had no authority to speak on behalf of the embassy said.

The source said the consular allegedly demanded money from Somalis struggling to return home and even went ahead to issue fake passports, a charge corroborated by a Somali who was among the survivors of the March 16 Hudaydah gunship attack which killed 42 Somalis.

“We were kept in a detention centre in Sana’ah after being moved from Hudaydah but the consular refused to help us get out unless we paid money. We only got out after the new ambassador arrived in July,” Asma Barre Shuriye told Goobjoog News in Berbera.

Ambassador Abdullahi Haashi Shuriye was posted to Yemen as new envoy July this year and is currently operating from a hotel in Sana’ah.

Sudan told Goobjoog News Saturday Yemeni police had been sent to his office to force him out backing his claims with pictures which showed the police outside the office. Our source from the embassy said however the soldiers were sent to protect the consulate against any possible damage from Somali protesters who were demanding the consular to leave.

Ahmed Yusuf who is the chairperson of Somalis in Yemen told Goobjoog News they had raised complains against the consulate official to government officials who visited the place last month. “We presented our grievances against the consular to the State minister and other government officials who came here last month. The consular has been here for four years and he has done nothing about our situation.”

Foreign Affairs minister Yusuf Garad did not respond to communication regarding the matter.