Kenya angers Somalia by hosting minister who escaped detention‏

The already strained diplomatic relations between Kenya and Somalia are once again being tested, with Nairobi accused of harbouring fugitive Jubbaland security minister Abdirashid Hassan Abdinur.

Mr Abdinur, also known as Abdirashid Janan, is alleged to have escaped on January 28 from a Mogadishu prison, where he had been held since August 31, 2019 on accusations of “grave human rights violations and killing civilians in Gedo Region”.

A well-placed security source in Mandera said the minister entered Kenya through Bulahawa, narrowly escaping Somalia security forces that had been chasing him.

The fugitive minister has been in Kenya since then, initially taking refuge in Nairobi.

Currently, Mr Abdinur is reported to be hiding in a Mandera hotel. He arrived at the hotel on Tuesday afternoon and his security was immediately taken over by Kenyan agencies.