A news report published by the English-language Kenyan news site “Digital News” shared an account from a Somali businessman and politician with a security background about his experience in Libya.
The report, which was followed and its most important news content translated by Al-Marsad newspaper, quoted “Abshir Aden Ferro” on his journey to the country from Europe, where he currently resides, to rescue a detained relative, which later enabled him to free 400 Somalis.
Aden Ferro said: “In early August, I received a late-night phone call that changed my life after a distressed family member told me that my 25-year-old relative had tried to make that”.
Libya – An international report has revealed the details of an unprecedented humanitarian story starring “Aden Ferro,” a Somali native who previously served in the French army before founding an international security group in London. He managed to free 400 Somali migrants, including 50 women, who were held captive in Libya.
Aden Ferro explained that his journey to Libya began after receiving a phone call last August from a family member, who informed him that his 25-year-old relative had been kidnapped immediately upon arriving in Libya while attempting to cross to Europe. He confirmed that he decided to travel immediately to Tripoli, then Tajoura, to rescue his relative.
Ferro stated that by using his own resources, he managed to secure his relative’s release, but he “ethically could not leave the others behind.” He worked to free 400 detainees at once without paying any ransom. The head of the Somali community in Libya described what happened as “the largest release operation of its kind” where no money was paid.
The report noted that thousands of Somalis—more than 7,000 according to humanitarian organizations—are still missing or detained in Libya, where they are intercepted while trying to cross the sea or kidnapped by smugglers. The ransoms demanded can reach up to $30,000 per captive.
One survivor, a 22-year-old named Halima, recounted spending 18 months in detention, saying: “We were not living like human beings. They would torture us when we couldn’t pay the ransom, and we survived on a piece of bread and a cup of water daily. Fortunately, I am now free and will return to Somalia.”
Mohamed Abdullahi, 19, said he left Mogadishu hoping to reach Europe but was kidnapped and held with dozens of Africans in overcrowded cells, adding: “You were only lucky if your family could send money.”
The report confirmed that detention centers in Libya are controlled by armed militias that exploit migrants for profit, amid repeated UN documentation of abuses including torture, starvation, extortion, forced labor, and sexual exploitation, making Libya one of the most dangerous transit points for migrants in the world.