Abu Ghuraib in Hargeisa

[NASSIR]

Abu Ghuraib in Hargeisa

 

By Yasmeen Maxamuud , feb 07, 2005

 

Part one of a two part special report

 

Maxkamadiinii gabar lagu habsaday gadatay dhiigeeda

 

Go'aankeedii nacasnimo ma waan gobi ka shuureynin

 

Ma golayaashii iyo guurtigibaa garasho naafoobay

 

Ma goblamay Cigaal ficii xun waa laga gadoodaaaye……

 

Ma wedydinaan gabdhaha sharaf u hayn garasho yeelkeede

 

Samsam is a 16-year-old Somali girl charged with “espionage†and “conspiracy†before her release on Feb 2, 2005 . Samsam was jailed in a Hargeysa prison on August 15 by Somaliland authority in an environment very similar to the ghastly, outrageous and inhumane Abu Ghuraib .

 

Before we dive into the details of why a 16 year-old Somali girl charged with such a harsh sentence, let me take many of you readers back to the time when you were 16 years of age. No, doubt it must have been a time when many were being treated as adolescents and not yet full participants of adult society. For most 16-year-olds in the United States of America and other European countries, music, movies, shopping Malls and sports reign supreme.

 

With this in mind, I encountered a 16-year-old Somali girl residing in the Minneapolis area to observe and query the psyche of a 16 year old. I questioned her on the most important aspects of her life as a 16-year-old young woman. She confessed to loving going to the Mall, shopping, dressing up, hanging out with friends, talking on the phone and listening to music. Responsible tasks such as homework and household chores took a backseat to the aforementioned for this 16 year old.

 

I then proceeded to ask her to define the terms espionage and conspiracy and if she knew what those terms meant. With a blank face and a nervous smile, she asked me if it were a title of a new movie, not a surprising mix up for someone that age. Although a 16 year-old girl residing in the US immensely differs from one growing up in Somalia, the comparison offered here is to clearly parallel the naïve, immature and nonchalant attitude most 16 year-olds posses.

 

With this as a backdrop, imagine what Samsam Axmed Ducaleh had to go through when she suddenly found herself at the center of every human violation known to humanity. Rape, torture, beatings, and electric wiring became a daily attack the 16-year-old could not escape. This is no doubt a scandalous, shameful and inhumane treatment of great proportion and a perplexing deliberate step by the Somaliland authority that has many scratching their heads with wonder and dismay. What has provoked the Somaliland authority to commit such a vile human rights violations against a 16-year-old child defies cultural norms known to Somalis as well as every human rights code created against child abuse.

 

Like any other young impressionable naïve teenager, Samsam planned her trip to Hargeysa after she has met some young women from Hargeysa who invited her to look them up the next time she was in Hargeysa, and that they were residing in the home of the Vice President of Somaliland. Samsam left Boosaaso in a taxicab and proceeded to venture out to meet her new friends in Hargeysa. She asked the taxi driver to take her to the home of the Somaliland Vice President Axmed Yusuf Yasin. After Samsam and Omar, the driver, arrived at the gate of the VP's home, they were met with the guards who asked Samsam to state her business there. Samsam proceeded to inform of her desire to meet up with her friends who were residing at this home. At that point the VP himself was dispatched to see if he knew this young woman. As he began to encounter Samsam, the VP was startled by what he saw, namely a young woman wearing a Hijaab. After the VP himself personally questioned Samsam and after she confessed to her business at his house, he began to get nervous and asked his guards to strip her of her garb, which according to many reports made him nervous. The VP is said to posses a suspicious self-doubting nature and many think he is a “fooxiye,†meaning he is a suspicious being who looks for answers in the supernatural. As such, Samsam's garb delivered one of his suspicious episodes as he confessed to seeing her in his dream the previous night and that she was sent to assassinate him.

 

 

Axmed Yusuf M/Xigeenka S/L

 

He immediately ordered that her garb be removed and the guards proceeded to violently remove her garb. Samsam at this point was very upset by this personal breach and proceeded to hit the men with her shoe, a customary behavior that many Somali women or girls who are attacked or violated would embark. This is when Axmed Yusuf Yasin, the VP of Somaliland personally ordered that Samsam be taken into custody at once; the ordeal for this 16 year old girl began after such a command was given by the second most powerful man in the Somaliland authority.

 

Samsam was born on August 14, 1988 . She is the daughter of Nadiifo Jibril and the late Axmed Ducaleh. She was born in Dhahar, a town in the Eastern Sanaag region. Her late father married her mother in Dhahar.

 

According to her brother Abshir Ciise Ilaaq who resides in Minneapolis , Samsam was a high school student, in the 11 th grade in Boosaaso at the time of her horrendous ordeal. She is a practicing, religious young woman who proudly wore the religious Islamic garb.

 

Although Samsam exhibited a very young age and though she was unarmed, the guards became suspicious of her to have concocted a plan to kill the VP. Accompanied by the driver that had brought her from Boosaaso, the two, according to African Rights Director Raaqiya Oomar, were immediately taken to CID (Criminal Investigation Department) headquarters all the while Samsam and Omar the taxi driver were being maltreated through torture and beatings. Samsam and the driver were later taken to Hrgeysa central police station. Samsam confessed to being raped at the police station, after she was taken out of the facilities and raped repeatedly by at least six officers, while also receiving beatings and torture. The driver also confessed to being beaten and tortured by the CID officers. After 25 days of hell at the police station, they were transferred to Hargeysa prison where Samsam received more torture and beatings to make her confess to the alleged crime of espionage and conspiracy.

 

Her young life has been destroyed and the future is very grim for Samsam due mainly to the violence of rape on her young body. As a young Somali female, her virginity, traditionally the pride for any young Somali woman and the prerequisite for any future marriage, has been totally destroyed and her family name and dignity defamed by this violent exploit, which has been committed by full-grown men. They have decided to infringe her and punish her for reasons bizarre and disconcerting to many.

 

Samsam has been pushed into a hellhole unbeknownst to her and until now suffers from the repeated assault, rape and torture she received while being detained. Her health has deteriorated, as she was committed to solitary confinement unable to see family and friends. She has not been taken to any health facilities to cure the many horrific aftereffects of the punishment she has received from the Somaliland authority. The reason why her health is not tended to is mainly due to the fact that the Somaliland authority is afraid of what will be found on this most destroyed and violated body.

 

Samsam has suffered much ill treatment while in prison; she was raped repeatedly, beaten and electrical wire hooked to many sensitive parts of her body to make her crack. These electrical wires have caused grave damage to her left breast, causing her left nipple to fall off. All this abuse was an attempt to make her confess to crimes she never committed.

 

The boastful confession of the head of police Maxamed Cige Cilmi that he was personally present at the examining room where Samsam was being inspected for her horrendous experience, in his own word, Mr. Cilmi said: “I as the head of the group was present at the time of the examination and no evidence of rape has been found.†He further added, “It is evident that Samsam is not a virgin†evidently and according to her brother Ilaaq, this is a poor tactic to lessen the effects of the violence against this young woman.

 

Mind you, the examining doctors were handpicked by the Somaliland authority, and a male member of the authority namely Cilmi or any other should not be present at the examining room to afford the victim at least some dignity and privacy, as well as to yield the case some objectivity. He bombastically confessed to know that Samsam was neither raped nor a virgin and that she is at least 20 years of age. One wonders what gives Cilmi the qualifications to make such a statement. Obviously this head of police is in dire need of training or some information session to inform him and his staff that neither he nor his staff, while holding this child hostage, should be present at the examining room where the victim was receiving inspection for rape and torture.

 

This speaks volume of the lack of accountability and transparency of Somaliland 's authority. Samsam has been violated and her rights taken away once again by the dishonorable display of her body to a viewing male public to simply disqualify her claims against the authority that violated her brutally. According to Samsam's brother Duuje, whom we contacted in Boosaaso for this article, Samsam was never seen by any doctor to attend to her many wounds, and the one time the Somaliland authority claimed to have examined her, Samsam was substituted by another decoy young female who exhibited no evidence of rape or torture.

 

The Somaliland CID has used many inhumane and appalling torturing maneuvers. Just before her sentencing, Samsam received further bruising and torture when her legs where tied by shackles that restricted her movements and caused much pain to her legs, all part of the torture strategy to make her confess to the alleged crime of espionage and conspiracy. As a result, Samsam is still limping from one leg, and according to her brother, Ilaaq, is now almost unable to walk and requires assistance. The torture marks are also visible on her upper legs, a clear evidence of the painful beating she took on the thigh area of her legs according to Duuje.

 

Boqor Cusmaan Ow Maxamuud, “Buurmadow,†was afforded the confidence in September 2004, to proceed and objectively investigate the case for both Samsam's family and Axmed Yusuf Yasin, the VP after the case has generated much negative publicity for the Somaliland authority and as they attempted to rid themselves of this heinous case by traditional means.

 

 

Boqor Buurmadow(WDN)

“Buurmadow†proceeded to investigate the case with some independent doctors to examine Samsam. The doctors found all the evidence of rape, torture and other vile means of abuse to Samsam's body as well as some brand new beatings and torture marks on her body that were being hidden by the authority. According to Buurmadow and his group, in fact all the said torture, rape and beating to Samsam's body was true and no doubt existed and that she suffered in the hands of the Somaliland authority. His attempt to resolve the case through traditional mediation has been rejected by the VP Axmed Y. Yasin, who began to blame Buurmadow for examining Samsam and making the results of his objective examination public. Mr. Buurmadow's effort has been translated by the authority as a further embarrassment to them, after he revealed the wounds on Samsam's body through a number of photographs he provided to her family.

 

Four lawyers who have been hired by a coalition of human rights organizations in Somaliland found themselves in the jailhouse after they continually challenged the judges' poor and political handling of the case. The lawyers also contested the prosecutor's lack of evidence to charge Samsam. The judge immediately found them in contempt of court, and ordered a three-year sentence for each.

 

Samsam was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment; she was left to represent herself at the start as well as the end of the trail. Amnesty International and other human rights organizations found the trial to be grossly unfair and point to the fact that no evidence has been produced to substantiate the charges of espionage affecting security of the state. The judge on the case dismissed Samsam's rape charges immediately. Amnesty International has received no reply from the Somaliland authority and is concerned about the failures of the court to respect International standards of fair trail, particularly the non-admissibility of statements obtained as a result of torture. Other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment, the right to legal defense representation, the right of lawyers to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference, and the right to trial by a competent and impartial court .

 

Imagine the trepidation and the paralyzing feeling of Samsam's mother, Nadiifo Jibril, on her first encounter with her daughter Samsam. The horrific picture of Samsam encompassed by armed men welcomed Naadifo. Samsam looked into her dear mother for answers. Unfortunately, Nadiifo could offer none.

 

Samsam was asked to sign some papers by force as evidenced by the presence of the intimidating armed soldiers. Her mother pleaded with her to sign whatever they wanted to assure her freedom. Nadiifo has been continuously harassed and roughed up by the authority anytime she inquired into Samsam's condition and the reason behind her imprisonment.

 

The pro-Somaliland media has ignored the issue altogether for fear it may contribute to the already existing negative publicity. It is deplorable and altogether disheartening that the media in Somaliland is pro-government and seems to somewhat purposely leave out any issue it may reckon damaging to the authority. The media seems to be taking it is cue from the remnants of the Siad Barre regime. After all, the top officials ordering this deplorable abuse have received their best training as NSS officials, the Gestapo-like security forces during Siad Barre's regime. How ironic is it that the Somaliland public has voted into office individuals that run their country with an authoritarian iron fist .

 

While doing research for this article I came across other media outlets that have filled the void created by the Somaliland media to inform the public and create awareness on the Samsam saga, through editorials and Radio programs. An editorial piece by WardheerNews referred to the Samsam court sentencing as a “Kangaroo court†a fitting labeling in my opinion. WardheerNews persistently and unsuccessfully called on the Hargeysa authority to release Samsam. These journalists have continuously informed the public on any updates on the topic throughout the grueling period.

 

Another group that have committed many exhausting hours to create awareness through much digging, phone calls and relentless inquiry to the Somaliland authority as well as family and other concerned parties are the Agabso.com volunteer journalists through the Codka Beehsa Radio broadcast out of the Minneapolis area.

 

The many requests made by various Somali human rights organizations, activists, traditional elders and concerned citizens have all fallen into a deaf ear. Instead, Hargeysa choose to throw a defeating slap on the face of justice and maintained a mediocre court environment, confirming the incompetence of the prosecutor and the presiding judge.

 

A group of concerned citizens/activists in Minnesota has taken the necessary steps to file a lawsuit against the VP of Somaliland Axmed Yusuf Yasin who according to this group is a US citizen. The suit was filed in a Federal Court in Minneapolis MN . The case of Samsam Axmed Ducaleh vs. Axmed Y. Yasin states the many human rights abuses and violations against Samsam and has attracted the attention of many local lawyers who will vigorously pursue the case on a pro bono basis.

 

On a subsequent follow up article I will try to investigate the following:

 

1-The bases of the filed lawsuit and the details of the lawsuit

 

2-How will this law suit affect Axmed Yusuf Yasin, the VP of Somaliland?

 

For example will he serve any prison time if he is found guilty, can the American legal system go after him for the human rights violation he committed against Samsam even if he is not in American soil, etc

 

I will also attempt an interview with Samsam to personally share her saga and her life after the incarceration.

 

By Yasmeen Maxamuud,

 

E-mail: Yasmeen_Maxmuud@yahoo.com

[Pacifist]

I have to say although I didn't fully understand the other articles in somali. This one was a good. Justice Be served to Sam Sam.

I think ALLAH ALmighty Rahim will do that for her on the day of judgement. I don't think these other Kangaroo courts like the hargeysa and the US ones can do much justice.

 

I hope the Vp is taken to the International Tribunal Court.

[NASSIR]

Yes pacifist, this article is so touching and elaborative.

 

 

From the Article

I encountered a 16-year-old Somali girl residing in the Minneapolis area to observe and query the psyche of a 16 year old. I questioned her on the most important aspects of her life as a 16-year-old young woman. She confessed to loving going to the Mall, shopping, dressing up, hanging out with friends, talking on the phone and listening to music. Responsible tasks such as homework and household chores took a backseat to the aforementioned for this 16 year old.

I then proceeded to ask her to define the terms espionage and conspiracy and if she knew what those terms meant. With a blank face and a nervous smile, she asked me if it were a title of a new movie, not a surprising mix up for someone that age. Although a 16 year-old girl residing in the US immensely differs from one growing up in Somalia, the comparison offered here is to clearly parallel the naïve, immature and nonchalant attitude most 16 year-olds possess.

[AYOUB]

^^The question is, was she 16?

[Qudhac]

and the calaacal continues....

[Reality Check]

wow.

[Libaax-Sankataabte]

Qudhac, I think it is time you started respecting the website and its rules.

 

Edit your message please.