Hargeysa, Somaliland, October 25, 2008 (SL Times) – A man who lived in Somaliland as a refugee has been extradited to Ethiopia .

Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed, a father of 11 children arrived in Somaliland on 2001 to seek asylum after fleeing his country, Ethiopia .

His application for a refugee status was finally recognized by the UNHCR on November 2007.

Mr. Mohamed went missing on October 15 in Hargeysa only to be reported later that he had been handed over to the Ethiopian authorities.

The man in question was said to belong to the Oromo, Ethiopia 's largest ethnic group. However it has now been established that Mohamed's ancestor were from H. Awal, Sa'ad Muse clan.

The incident was condemned by the local human rights organization Horn Watch.

Saleebaan Bullaale the chairman of Horn Watch said that Mr. Mohamed was in the custody of the Somaliland government before being transferred to the Ethiopians.

Bullaale whose organization investigated this incident said he doubted whether the man violated Somaliland law while he was here.

“If he committed a crime in Somaliland or violated the terms under which he was granted asylum as refugee then he should have been charged and tried here instead of being extradited to Ethiopia ” Bulaale added.

Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed was registered and visited by the International Committee of the Red Cross while he was in jail in Ethiopia on 2000. According to the ICRC, Mr. Mohamed was released from Ethiopian prison on Feb 1, 2001.

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