The sons of President Bihi run an informal intelligence unit to detain critics, says the sister of detained politician.

Hargeisa- Ahmed Mohamed Abdi, also known as Ahmed Daud, was arrested on 24 November. He was released on bail on the 27th and re-arrested the next day, 28.

Ahmed Daud is a member of the central council of the newly formed Kaah political association. He is a focal critic of the president and uses satire to express his political opinions.

His sister, Hana Daud, a human rights and access to justice activist, said the two sons of the President of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi, "developed an informal section of an intelligence agency to…arrest individuals.”

In a Twitter post, Hana argued that the actions of the President’s sons "are a setback to the many years Somaliland thriving to recognition and peace.”

One of the president’s sons, Ahmed Muse Bihi Abdi, was trained in military intelligence in Ethiopia. He also graduated from Somaliland’s military academy.

Ahmed-Khalif, a member of the House of Representatives, saidin April 2022 that there are young men recruited and led by Ahmed Muse Bihi Abdi, the president’s son, who work clandestinely to arrest and beat people. He added that the unit has secret detention facilities.

This is not the first time the sons of the president were accused of involvement in arrests. Previously a journalist and construction worker separately claimed that they were apprehended by intelligence officers who work for the son of the president. Other media reportsalleged similar claims.

Journalist Abdisalan Ahmed Awad was beaten and arrested in Hargeisa in April 2022 by intelligence officers. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists "The men focused their assault on Abdisalan, who they accused of writing critically about Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi on Facebook, warning the journalist to "leave our president alone.”

Abdisalan was released. However, he was again attacked and wounded. He claimed that the son of the president was part of the group who has beaten him. Abdisalan is now out of the country, fearing for his life.

Somaliland Daily cannot independently verify these claims.

President Muse Bihi Abdi, an air force soldier under Siyad Barre’s regime of Somalia turned rebel commander, was elected on 13 November 2017 as the president of the Republic of Somaliland. On 13 November 2022, the opposition issued a declaration saying that they no longer recognize him as president due to his five-year term expiration.

Ministers rejected the non-recognition stance of the opposition and stated that the Guurti, the Upper House of the Parliament, has extended the president’s term for two years.

International partners have been trying to facilitate the political parties to resume dialogue.