THE UNENDING NIGHTMARE OF SOMALI MOTHERS.

 Somali Mothers’ Cries for Their Lost Children in the hands of Human Traffickers.

Back in Mandera, where I grew up 20 years ago, the sound of crying mothers was something we all knew too well. It wasn’t unusual to see a woman breaking down in the neighborhood . Their tears told the same heartbreaking story—sons and daughters trapped in Libya by the Magafe traffickers, beaten and starved while ransom demands drained their families. These mothers begged, borrowed, and sold everything they owned, desperate to save their children.

As a child, I remember feeling terrified whenever I overheard these stories. The thought of someone being tortured, held in a dark room, and forced to cry for help to their parents haunted me.

Now, two decades later, nothing has changed. If anything, it has gotten worse. Back then, the Magafe made their money by exploiting those traveling through Libya to Europe. But as the conflicts in Sudan and Libya escalated, and the stories of horror spread, many Somalis began avoiding Libya altogether.

Yet, the traffickers have adapted. These days, they promise free rides to young Somali men and women, tricking them into believing they will reach safely. Instead, these innocent people are driven straight to Libya, handed over to the Magafe without even realizing it. That’s when the nightmare begins.

Over the past few months, nearly five young men I know personally have fallen victim to this evil scheme. These were friends I grew up with, some even my relatives—young men full of hope for a better future. Today, their families are struggling to meet the traffickers’ impossible ransom demands. I have heard mothers appeal for support live on radio crying for help.

The traffickers are getting bolder. They now target young people in remote villages both inside Kenya and Somalia where information about their schemes hasn’t reached. In urban areas like Nairobi, people are starting to catch on to their tricks, but in the villages, they prey on hope and desperation.

And this nightmare is not limited to land. Nowadays, migrants are paying thousands of money to try different routes , Just last week, two boats carrying 70 Somali nationals left the port of Mombasa, heading for an island near Madagascar where they allegedly wanted to connect to Europe . Midway through the journey, the boat operators claimed their engines had failed. They removed the engines, promising to fix them, and left the passengers stranded in the middle of the ocean. For 15 days, these people—mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters—fought for their lives without food or water. Almost all of them died, their bodies swallowed by the sea.

No arrests have been made. The people who committed this horrific crime are still free. And yet, it is like, we have forgotten already before even the bodies are recovered and the missing ones are accounted for. Our leaders—those in Mandera, Garissa, Wajir, and even Somalia—have said nothing.

We cannot keep quiet. Our leaders must step up. Awareness campaigns need to reach every corner of our communities, especially the villages. We need programs to educate our youth about the dangers of trafficking. Law enforcement especially Kenya police force and Directorate of Criminal investigation must act decisively to dismantle these trafficking networks.

This is not just a crisis—it is a tragedy that has robbed emotionally and financially off our community for decades. And if we don’t act now, the tears of Somali mothers wil never stop.

Abdiqafar Hussein is a young freelance writer with a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media and Communication. He is deeply committed to promoting peace and reducing human suffering. This article aims to raise awareness about the challenges of human trafficking that target Somali migrants from Kenya and Somalia heading Europe and America. 

You can reach me here +254728010451 or abdiqafarh97@gmail.com.