Mogadishu (Somalia Today) — The United States on Sunday praised Somalia’s law enforcement cooperation after authorities in Mogadishu helped return two men wanted in separate fraud and murder cases, saying the operations could provide a model for future joint efforts.
“The United States appreciates continued law enforcement cooperation with the Federal Government of Somalia,” the US Embassy in Mogadishu said in a statement posted on X.
The embassy said recent coordination showed that close partnerships, grounded in respect for the laws and practices of both countries, could strengthen security, deny criminals a safe haven and protect American and Somali citizens.
“We hope this cooperation sets a strong standard for future efforts,” it added.
The embassy did not name the cases, but its statement came days after Somalia transferred Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, an alleged senior figure in the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal, and Hanut Abdulle, who faces a murder charge over a 2021 killing in the US state of Ohio.
Two fugitives returned
Somali authorities transferred Eidleh, 42, of Burnsville, Minnesota, to the United States on July 16 after what the US Justice Department described as his “lawful surrender”.
Eidleh had remained wanted since September 2022 and faces 31 charges, including wire fraud, bribery involving federal programmes and money laundering.
The charges remain allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
US prosecutors accuse Eidleh of helping recruit and approve fraudulent meal sites linked to Feeding Our Future, a Minnesota non-profit at the centre of a scheme that allegedly diverted about $250 million from a federal child nutrition programme during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prosecutors allege that more than $5 million in bribes, kickbacks and other proceeds passed through accounts connected to shell companies that Eidleh controlled.
“His capture and transfer back to Minnesota show how far the arm of American law enforcement can reach,” US Attorney Daniel Rosen said.
The Justice Department said agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service escorted Eidleh to Minnesota after cooperation involving Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency, the Somali Police Force and the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
In a separate operation, authorities returned Abdulle, 23, to Columbus, Ohio, where he faces a murder charge over the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Bryce Persang in September 2021.
Police found Persang wounded inside a vehicle near Floral Circle South. Emergency workers took him to hospital, where he later died.
Investigators said Persang had arranged to meet Abdulle and another suspect before the shooting. Authorities issued arrest warrants in 2022 and later located Abdulle in Somalia following a search involving American and Somali agencies.
Questions over legal process
The handovers have drawn attention because Somalia and the United States do not have a bilateral extradition treaty.
Article 36 of Somalia’s provisional constitution states that authorities may extradite an accused or convicted person only in a manner prescribed by law and under an international treaty or convention binding on Somalia.
US officials carefully avoided describing Eidleh’s return as an extradition, instead calling it a transfer following a lawful surrender.
Neither government has publicly explained the precise legal process used in either case or released documents showing how Somali authorities approved the transfers.
The embassy’s reference to cooperation based on respect for “each country’s laws and practices” appeared intended to underline that the operations complied with Somali legal requirements.
Washington ranks among Somalia’s main security partners and provides extensive military, intelligence and financial support to the federal government.
The United States also carries out air strikes, in coordination with Somali authorities, against Al-Shabaab and the Islamic State group’s local affiliate.
The latest handovers suggest that cooperation between Washington and Mogadishu increasingly extends beyond counterterrorism operations to conventional criminal investigations and efforts to return suspects accused of serious offences in the United States.
