Kosovo has asked Somalia for urgent assistance in locating nine members of an official delegation who disappeared before their scheduled departure, amid unverified allegations that diplomatic travel arrangements may have been used to facilitate migration to Europe.
PRISTINA, Nov. 15, 2026 (BalkanView) – Kosovo has requested assistance from Somalia’s government in locating nine members of an official Somali delegation who disappeared during a visit to the Balkan country, raising concerns over their safety and triggering questions about the organisation of the trip.
The nine individuals left their accommodation near Pristina on Oct. 27, a day before their scheduled departure, and have not been located, according to a diplomatic note reported by Somali news outlet Hiiraan Online.
Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora expressed serious concern in the note, dated Oct. 30, and urged Somali authorities to treat the case as a priority.
The incident has attracted further attention following the dismissal of two Somali government officials who led the delegation, although authorities have not officially linked their removal to the disappearance.
Delegates fail to appear at airport
The Somali delegation arrived in Kosovo on Oct. 25 aboard a Turkish Airlines flight.
It was led by Said Mohamed Mohamud, then state minister for public works, reconstruction and housing, and Fartun Abdikadir Farah, then deputy minister for ports and maritime transport.
According to the diplomatic note, the nine individuals left their accommodation at the Dua Village complex near Pristina at around 7 p.m. on Oct. 27.
Their absence was discovered the following day when Kosovo’s state protocol service arranged transportation for the delegation to Pristina International Airport.
The nine failed to appear at the airport’s VIP terminal, from where they were scheduled to depart.
Mohamud and Farah left Kosovo on Oct. 28.
Kosovo’s foreign ministry said attempts to obtain information through senior members of the Somali delegation had been unsuccessful.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of the Republic of Kosovo expresses serious concern over the lack of information regarding the whereabouts of nine members of the Somali delegation,” the diplomatic note said, according to Hiiraan Online.
Preliminary checks indicated that the individuals had left their accommodation voluntarily, but authorities had not established whether they remained in Kosovo or had travelled to another country.
Two Somali officials dismissed
Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre dismissed Mohamud and Farah from their government positions on Nov. 4.
The prime minister’s office did not publicly explain the reasons for the dismissals, and there has been no official confirmation that the decision was connected to the incident in Kosovo.
However, Somali news outlet Garowe Online, whose reporting was also carried by Albania’s Top Channel television, reported allegations that the two officials had facilitated the travel of the nine individuals in exchange for payments.
According to the report, the individuals were allegedly presented as government employees to secure their inclusion in the official delegation and obtain visas.
Those allegations were not contained in Kosovo’s diplomatic note and have not been independently verified.
No publicly available evidence in the material reviewed establishes that either dismissed official participated in an illegal migration scheme.
Possible asylum route remains unconfirmed
Somali media, citing unnamed sources, have suggested that the nine individuals may have travelled to other European countries with the intention of seeking asylum.
Their destination, immigration status and reasons for leaving the delegation remain unknown.
Kosovo’s authorities have stressed that the case extends beyond diplomatic and protocol concerns, raising questions about the safety and welfare of the missing individuals.
The foreign ministry has asked Somalia to provide information that could help establish their whereabouts and circumstances.
Somalia’s federal government has not publicly provided a detailed explanation of the incident or confirmed whether it has established contact with the nine individuals.
Diplomatic relations face an unexpected test
Somalia is among the countries that recognise Kosovo’s independence, declared in February 2008.
Pristina and Mogadishu maintain diplomatic relations, and the incident has prompted Kosovo to seek closer cooperation with Somali authorities to resolve the case.
The disappearance also raises questions about the procedures used to select members of official delegations, verify their credentials and issue visas for government-related travel.
For now, the available evidence establishes that nine members of an official delegation left their accommodation and failed to appear for their scheduled departure.
Whether their disappearance was connected to an organised migration arrangement, individual decisions to seek asylum or other circumstances remains unconfirmed.