Kayse Ahmed Osman

Hargeysa, Somaliland, January 13, 2007 (SL Times) – Mr. Kayse Ahmed Osman, a close friend of the detained Haatuf Media network journalists, Yusuf Abdi Gabobe and Ali Abdi Dini was arrested while visiting the detained journalists inside the CID Hargeysa compound on Friday, 12/01/07.

Around, 1pm Friday afternoon Mr. Kayse Ahmed Osman was arrested by Somaliland’s chief CID commander, Mr. Suleiman Muse when he spotted Kayse Ahmed inside the CID compound as he was being turned away by security guards, who had refused Kayse Ahmed to visit Yusuf Abdi Gabobe and Ali Abdi Dini, the two Haatuf Media Network journalists arrested, on 2 January 07, for publishing a series of articles in Haatuf daily newspaper relating to the misuse of public property by the family of President Dahir Rayale.

The family of Kayse Ahmed has informed Somaliland Times that the CID chief, Mr. Suleiman Muse on arresting Kayse said to him, ‘Surprise, surprise! Whom do we have here? Is this not Kayse Ahmed Osman, whom we have been looking for the past week?’ Then, the CID chief ordered one of the guards to apprehend Kayse and lock him up in one of the cells adjacent to the one occupied by the two Haatuf journalists.

The family of Kayse Ahmed said, ‘The CID have not given us any explanation to Kayse’s arrest or detention and he himself is very baffled by all this’.

Somaliland Times, contacted the chief of Somaliland’s CID, Mr. Suleiman Muse and asked whether it is true that Kayse Ahmed, has been arrested and is held in detention in CID headquarters? The chief replied ‘Yes, it’s true that Kayse Ahmed is being held at the present moment by the CID’.

When asked the reason for his arrest the chief of CID said, ‘For the past week we have been looking for Kayse Ahmed and, we will let you know soon the reason for his arrest’. Mr. Suleiman Muse declined to make any further comments on Kayse Ahmed’s arrest.

Somaliland Times, has learned from reliable sources close to the Presidency that Kayse Ahmed has been mentioned one or two times by the Presidency’s close circle of associates and friends as one of the suspects colluding with Haatuf Media Network in tarnishing the good name of the President.

This assumption is made on the basis that Kayse Ahmed is a native of President Dahir Rayale's hometown, Borama, and may well be the source leaking to Haatuf the confidential information pertaining to the President’s household.

The truth is Kayse Ahmed has little or no contact with the Presidency or its supporters and associates. For one thing, the fact that Kayse Ahmed is a staunch supporter of the opposition and is the nephew of the former Vice-President of Somaliland and SNM veteran Abdirahman Ali Farah who is a leading political figure in Kulmiye party, would prevent his having access to the ins and outs of the President’s private family business.

Kayse Ahmed Osman is being incarcerated and punished solely for the simple reason that he is a good friend of Haatuf Media Network.

Source: Somaliland Times