FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE
SOMALI INDIGENOUS LEADERS DEMAND HALT TO AUCTION OF METEORITE TAKEN IN ARMED ROBBERY
El Ali, Hiiraan Region, Somalia – February 20, 2026
The Traditional Leader of the El Ali Indigenous Community, Ibrahim Haji Yarow Dagodiyow, and former Hirshabelle Parliament Chairman Osman Barre, have called for the immediate suspension of any international auction of the El Ali meteorite, known locally as Shiid Birood, describing its 2020 removal as an armed robbery carried out under intimidation and murder.
Community leaders state that armed individuals linked to Al-Shabaab were present during the removal and that local residents were threatened and prevented from accessing the site.
“This was not a lawful sale. It was a violent dispossession of indigenous heritage,” said Ibrahim Haji Yarow Dagodiyow. The leaders stress that:
- Ownership documents were issued irregularly.
- Export papers contain inconsistent GPS coordinates.
- The El Ali community was never consulted nor gave consent.
- The removal occurred during a period of insecurity linked to actors (Businessmen) connected to the administration of former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.
They warn that any auction conducted without resolving these issues risks facilitating the sale of contested and potentially stolen cultural property.
The El Ali Community formally demands:
- Immediate suspension of any planned exhibition or auction.
- Full public disclosure of provenance documentation.
- Independent investigation into the February 2020 armed removal.
- Immediate intervention by all concerned parties.
“No buyer can obtain clean title from violence and corruption,” said Osman Barre.
The community has called on international heritage institutions, legal authorities, and the Somali government to act urgently to prevent the sale and ensure restitution.
Joint Press Release by:
The Traditional Leader of the El Ali Indigenous Community;
Ibrahim Haji Yarow Dagodiyow
& Former Hirshabelle Parliament Chairman;
Osman Barre
For Media Contact: info@hanahr.net