Kosovo has formally asked the Government of Somalia to clarify the whereabouts and safety of nine members of an official Somali delegation who reportedly left their accommodation in Prishtina after arriving in Kosovo for a visit in late October, Somali media outlet Garowe Online reported today.
In a diplomatic letter dated October 30, 2026, published by Somali media and reportedly issued by Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Kosovo expressed serious concern over the circumstances surrounding the nine individuals. Their whereabouts, condition and possible departure from Kosovo remained unconfirmed, the letter stated.
The two-page diplomatic communication, issued as a Note Verbale under reference number 4868-561/26, was addressed to Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
According to the letter, the Somali delegation arrived in Kosovo on October 25, 2026, at 7:45 p.m., aboard a Turkish Airlines flight.
The delegation was reportedly led by Said Mohamed Mohamud, Somalia’s State Minister for Public Works, Housing and Reconstruction, and Fartuun Abdikadir Farah, Deputy Minister of Ports. They were accompanied by other officials and delegation members.
According to Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry, information recorded by the State Protocol identified nine accompanying members whose whereabouts required clarification.
The diplomatic note states that on October 28, while preparations were underway for the delegation’s scheduled programme and transfer to the airport, the State Protocol was informed that the nine individuals had left their accommodation at a villa resort on the outskirts of Prishtina on the evening of October 27, at approximately 7:10 p.m.
They reportedly departed without notifying the responsible authorities who were supposed to accompany them during their stay in Kosovo.
Preliminary information suggested that the nine individuals had left independently and may have travelled to another location outside the country.
However, the ministry stressed that this did not confirm their whereabouts or establish that they had actually left Kosovo.
The diplomatic letter also states that Kosovo’s State Protocol attempted to obtain clarification through representatives of the delegation, but had received no concrete information about the nine individuals by the time the communication was prepared.
The ministry confirmed that State Minister Said Mohamed Mohamud left Kosovo on October 28, while Deputy Minister Fartuun Abdikadir Farah departed later that same day.
However, the nine accompanying members never appeared at the VIP terminal of Prishtina International Airport, where they were expected to depart according to the planned itinerary.
Kosovo said it had no confirmation of their whereabouts, their status of stay or whether they had left its territory.
For this reason, Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally requested that the Somali Government clarify the circumstances surrounding their disappearance and provide information about their current location and safety.
It also asked Mogadishu to ensure that Kosovo’s competent authorities and State Protocol are informed of any changes to the delegation’s travel arrangements, including the accommodation and departure plans of its members.
The incident has reportedly triggered political consequences in Somalia, where two federal ministers are said to have been dismissed over suspicions that they facilitated the travel arrangements for the nine individuals in exchange for money.
According to allegations, the young people had presented themselves as government employees and were included in the official delegation in order to obtain travel visas.
However, Kosovo’s diplomatic note makes no mention of payments, visa sales or the alleged involvement of Somali ministers in the affair.
Sources cited by the Somali outlet, who claim to have knowledge of the case, also said that the nine individuals subsequently travelled to other countries and sought asylum.
