Video of Missing KDF Soldier Revives Family’s Hope

The family of Sergeant Abdullahi Issa Ibrahim, a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier reportedly held captive by Al-Shabaab militants for nine years, is urging the government to intervene for his release.

Abdullahi, who was part of the 9KR battalion stationed at Moi Barracks in Eldoret, was captured during the January 15, 2016, attack on the Kenyan-run AMISOM base in El-Adde, Somalia. Initially presumed dead, Abdullahi’s family lost hope after receiving a death certificate from KDF in December 2020.

However, a recently emerged video has reignited their hopes. The clip, shared by Al-Shabaab’s propaganda wing, shows the 61-year-old soldier pleading for government assistance. “After the attack, we expected the government would secure our release so we could reunite with our families,” Abdullahi says in the video, recounting his ordeal in Somalia.

The sergeant’s daughter, Kathra, revealed she received a call from Somalia late last year, with the caller claiming to be her father. Initially skeptical, she requested proof, which led to the video’s release a month later.

“As a family, we’ve been depressed, confused, and living like orphans for the last eight years,” Kathra said, adding that the family is distressed about Abdullahi’s mental and physical condition after nearly a decade in captivity. “We are asking the government to help bring him back home.”

A similar video featuring another Kenyan soldier from Trans-Nzoia County has also surfaced, with the soldier making a similar plea. Both families are now urging the government to take swift action to secure the release of their loved ones.

These developments highlight the ongoing anguish of families affected by the El-Adde attack and their enduring hope for justice and reunion.