Al-Shabaab Release Video of KDF Soldier Who Has Been Missing for 9 Years

The family of a Kenya Defence Forces soldier, reportedly held captive by Al-Shabaab militants for nine years, is calling on the government to assist in the release of their relative.

Sergeant Abdullahi Issa Ibrahim was among the soldiers captured by militants during the deadly attack on the Kenyan-run AMISOM army base in El-Adde on January 15, 2016.

Nine years after he was presumed dead, the sergeant has reignited his family’s hopes after a video emerged showing Abdullahi appealing for help from the government.

In the video, Sergeant Abdullahi describes his experiences since entering Somalia as part of the 9KR battalion, based at the Moi Barracks in Eldoret.

“I’m a Kenyan soldier. After the attack, we expected the Kenyan government would turn out to secure our release so we can reunite with our families,” he said in the video. 

The video of the 61-year-old sergeant is believed to have been shared by Al-Shabaab’s propaganda wing.

Speaking after the emergence of the clip, the sergeant’s family, including his daughter Kathra, now have renewed hopes of seeing their relative again.

“As a family, we have been depressed, confused, and do not know where to turn,” she said. “For the last eight years, we lost hope. We have been living like orphans.”

The family, who reside in Maline Estate in Eldoret, lost all hope in December 2020 after receiving a presumption of death certificate from the KDF.

According to the sergeant’s daughter Kathra, she received a strange call from Somalia from a man who identified himself as her father. Sceptical, Kathra requested video evidence, and after a month, they received the clip.

The family now says they are living in distress since they are unaware of the physical and mental state of their kin, nearly a decade since he was abducted by the militants. 

“We are asking as a family, the 10 years of torture is enough. We need him back home,” Katra added.

Besides Abdullahi’s video, Al-Shabaab militants released another clip of a different Kenyan soldier who hails from Trans-Nzoia county. The soldier’s message was similar as he called on the government’s intervention to bring them back to the country.