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Son of Somali Dictator Siad Barre Reportedly Living in Ohio
ReSon of Somali Dictator Siad Barre Reportedly Living in Ohio
Ayanle Siad Barre, son of the late Somali dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, has reportedly been living in the Columbus area for years, according to a New York Post report. The disclosure has prompted calls from some survivors for U.S. authorities to investigate the family's role during the regime, which was accused of mass killings and torture before its 1991 collapse.
The son of Mohamed Siad Barre, the Somali dictator whose more than two decades in power ended with the collapse of his government in 1991, has reportedly been living in Ohio for years, according to a new report. Ayanle Siad Barre, 61, resides in the Columbus area, home to one of the largest Somali communities in the United States.
The report also identified his sister, Deka Mohamed Siad, as living in Ohio. Their father ruled Somalia from 1969 until his overthrow in 1991. His regime has been accused of widespread atrocities, including mass killings that left as many as 200,000 people dead, torture and other human rights abuses, with particular atrocities directed against the Isaaq clan. Mohamed Siad Barre died in 1995.
Historian and Oxford University doctoral researcher Mohamed Haji Ingiriis described Ayanle as his father's «right-hand man» and alleged that he wielded significant power within the government, according to the report. Those allegations have not been independently verified.
The disclosure has drawn calls from some survivors of the Barre regime for U.S. authorities to investigate members of the former dictator's family. Human rights activist Suleiman Bolaleh called for an investigation to determine what Barre family members knew or did during the dictatorship, according to the report. The calls for an investigation do not establish wrongdoing by Ayanle or other family members.
The report also stated that Ayanle established a translation-services company called Somal Global Services. His sister, Deka, and her late husband operated Vanguard Home Health Care, which received more than $1.8 million in Medicare funding, according to documents reviewed by the publication. The company appeared to have operated legitimately and filed the appropriate paperwork, the report said.
The case echoes a previous episode involving another figure from the Barre era. Former Somali military commander Yusuf Abdi Ali had lived in the United States before being deported. An immigration judge determined in 2024 that Ali personally engaged in torture while serving in the Somali National Army and ordered soldiers under his command to detain and torture civilians and assist in extrajudicial killings, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Ali, who had been living as a permanent resident in Virginia, was deported to Somalia in December 2024.
«The United States will not be a safe haven for those who commit human rights violations,» ICE official Russell Hott said at the time.
Attempts to reach Ayanle Siad Barre for comment through publicly listed contact information were unsuccessful. ICE, the Department of Justice and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
