From Hargeisa Classrooms to Libya’s Jails—The New Route of Boy Trafficking.

HARGEISA, SOMALILAND — A crisis of unimaginable cruelty is unfolding in the heart of Somaliland’s capital, Hargeisa, where the most vulnerable members of society—children as young as 12—are being systematically stolen and smuggled into the treacherous hands of traffickers in Libya.

This is not the familiar tragedy of desperate youths seeking a better life; this is an organized, cold-blooded abduction scheme targeting minors between the ages of 12 and 16, a horrific trend now shattering families across Somaliland and Puntland.

The Mother’s Silence: A $10,000 Ransom

The emotional epicenter of this tragedy is the devastating story of Samia Adan Ahmed, a mother of four whose life was instantly cleaved in two. She awoke one morning to find her two sons, aged 13 and 15, missing. Ten days of agonizing silence followed, only to be brutally broken by a phone call from the war-torn chaos of Libya.

The voice on the line delivered a chilling ultimatum: Send $10,000, or your children will not live.

Samia Adan had no money. She had only grief. According to her brother, Abdullahi Adan Ahmed, the shock was so profound it stole her voice for five full days. Doctors brought to her bedside were baffled by her silent, catatonic state, unable to treat the invisible trauma of maternal despair. This is the human cost of the trafficking epidemic: a mother rendered mute by the calculated greed of criminals.

The Network of Betrayal

WARYATV investigations confirm the terrifying modus operandi of the trafficking rings operating with shocking impunity right here in Hargeisa. These are not distant, shadowy figures; they are local predators, often tragically described by victims as relatives.

Abdullahi Adan Ahmed revealed the insidious scheme: The networks begin by befriending vulnerable children near their schools, offering small amounts of money to establish contact and gain trust. Once rapport is established, they weave a compelling fantasy: a swift escape from “this bad life and poverty” to the shimmering promise of European countries.

They then provide the full logistical support—passports, tickets, and smuggling routes—to spirit the children away from Hargeisa.

But the real horror of the Libyan journey eclipses any fantasy. Libya is less a gateway to Europe and more a living hell, a hotbed for exploitation and organized crime. Unconfirmed, yet deeply disturbing reports reaching WARYATV suggest a darker, unmentionable motive for trafficking boys aged 13–15: the chilling possibility of organ removal schemes.

Voices from the Abyss

The testimonies of those who have survived the abyss underscore the urgency of this crisis. Said Hassan Duale, a 15-year-old boy who was trafficked from Hargeisa at the age of 13 and later returned by the UN Migration Agency (IOM), spoke with a wisdom far beyond his years.

“I want to talk about children being trafficked from Hargeisa, but it’s like talking to someone who has lost their hearing,” he told WARYATV, reflecting the deep sense of futility and resignation facing many affected families.

Young returnees paint a consistent picture of utter suffering: torture, slavery, systematic abuse, and exploitation at the hands of smugglers and human traffickers while stranded in Libya.

Where once young adults risked their own lives and money crossing the ocean, today, these children are being forcibly pushed into a migration path that remains one of the most dangerous in the world.

It is a miracle that some return alive after a year or two.

A Fragile Lifeline: The IOM Return

Against this backdrop of devastation, the Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) program, supported by the UN Migration Agency (IOM) and the EU, offers a fragile lifeline.

In one recent operation, a plane carrying 165 Somali migrants—mostly young men below the age of 25, including a critical 27 minors—landed at Egal International Airport in Hargeisa to return 13 members to Somaliland before continuing to Mogadishu. This action brings the total number of migrants returned from Libya to Somalia this year alone to over 550.

The IOM emphasizes that these returns are voluntary, informed, and executed with dignity. Upon arrival, returnees receive essential support to rebuild their shattered lives: temporary accommodation, medical and psychosocial counselling, pocket money, and communications tools to reconnect with their distraught families.

However, the voluntary nature of the return scheme is itself fraught with moral complexity. Critics highlight that returning to the desperate circumstances that drove them out—to avoid prolonged torture and suffering—can hardly be deemed a free choice.

Furthermore, despite the IOM’s long-term reintegration assistance, which includes funding anti-migration projects like access to clean water and farming opportunities, the root causes of poverty and lack of opportunity remain formidable.

Over 1,400 Somali migrants are estimated to remain stranded in Libya, desperate for protection and humanitarian assistance. The terrifying surge in child trafficking from Hargeisa necessitates immediate, coordinated action to dismantle the local criminal networks profiting from the trade in stolen futures.

The silence of Samia Adan Ahmed must become a deafening call for justice.

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