Hargeisa (SDN)-Security officials at Hargeisa’s international airport detained Hasan Umar Hussein (Haawa), a former member of Somalia’s parliament.
Hasan Umar Hussein is a well known Hargeisa-born diplomat who has been living in Somaliland since July 2011 with the permission of President Siilaanyo. He has spent the last year conducting business in Hargeisa and Boorama.
SDN received confirmation from members of Hasan’s family who say that he was detained earlier today at the airport where he went to welcome a delegation of Boorama business people from the city of Nairobi.
Officials with the government intervented on his behalf with security officials at Hargeisa’s Egal International airport, providing confirmation that the detainee has special permission to reside in the country for one year. Despite the intervention he was not released by airport officials who decided to maintain their earlier decision although they did release the Nairobi delegation after some time. “He was welcoming a delegation of visiting business people, the reasons behind his arrest is not clear” said a member of his family.
Although born in Somaliland Hasan Umar “Haawa” was a key player in Somalia’s transitional federal government politics. He was a former member of parliament for Somalia where he was appointed during the formation of the government in Arta under the presidency of Abdiqaasim Salaad Hasan and he was also a parliamentarian under the rule of Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed’s government formed in Mbeghati.
SDN, Hargeisa
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