MOGADISHU, Somalia —Somalia has successfully secured the release of more than 50 Somali citizens detained in prisons in the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials said.
The Somali Embassy in Tanzania played a key role in facilitating the release. Ambassador Ilyas Ali Hassan engaged with the Congolese Ambassador to Tanzania, Jean Pierra Massala, to advocate for the prisoners’ freedom.
In a statement posted on social media, Ambassador Hassan thanked the Congolese government for responding to Somalia’s request to release its citizens.
“We thank the government of our friendly country Congo, their leadership, as well as the Somali community residing in Congo,” Hassan said.
This comes shortly after Somalia repatriated 173 citizens who had been released from detention in Libya. The government has been working to bring home young Somalis who faced long-term detention and hardship abroad.
Despite these efforts, some Somali nationals remain imprisoned in other African countries. The federal government continues its efforts to secure their release.