An unusual case with diplomatic repercussions has embarrassed authorities in Pristina: nine people who were part of the accompanying group of an official delegation from Somalia are reported missing after leaving their accommodation without notice. So far, the official version confirms only their departure from the hotel and their absence at the scheduled departure from Pristina Airport.
The delegation arrived on October 25, but 9 people disappeared after a few days
The case was reported by Somali media outlet Garowe Online, which wrote that the Somali delegation arrived in Kosovo on October 25, 2026. The delegation was led by the State Minister for Public Works, Housing and Reconstruction, Said Mohamed Mohamud, as well as Deputy Minister of Ports Fartuun Abdikadir Farah.
According to the same report, the nine accompanying members left their accommodation at Dua Village without informing the authorities responsible for escorting them. The diplomatic document cited by the Somali media says the absence was discovered on October 28, while the departure from the hotel had taken place the evening before, at around 19:10.
They were also missing at the airport, while the delegation leaders left
Suspicion deepened when the nine people did not appear at the VIP terminal of Pristina International Airport, where the delegation’s departure had been scheduled. Meanwhile, the two officials leading the visit left Kosovo on October 28.
This means Kosovo authorities were left without a clear explanation for the fate of the rest of the group, turning the episode from a protocol incident into an issue with administrative and diplomatic weight.
Kosovo officially sought clarifications, but without a clear response
According to the report, Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora sent a verbal note to the Somali authorities on October 30, requesting information on the whereabouts, safety and status of the nine people.
So far, Kosovo authorities have confirmed only that the individuals left their accommodation in Pristina and that it has not been determined whether they have also definitively left the territory of Kosovo. This leaves open the key question: how did they enter an official delegation, and where did they end up afterward?
Suspicions of the delegation being used to obtain visas, but no independent confirmation
Garowe Online also reports political consequences in Somalia, where two federal government ministers are said to have been dismissed amid suspicions that they facilitated the travel of the nine people in exchange for payments.
According to these claims, the individuals may have been presented as state administration employees in order to be included in the delegation and benefit from travel visas. However, these claims are not included in Kosovo’s official diplomatic communication and do not appear to have been independently confirmed.
Likewise, sources cited by the Somali media claim that the individuals may have traveled to other countries and sought asylum, but neither their destination nor their current status has been verified.
The case has raised serious questions about the institutional filters used in the composition of official delegations and about the possibility that state travel may be exploited for interests entirely different from those declared in official documents.
For now, there are more suspicions than answers in circulation, while authorities in Pristina are still awaiting clarifications from the Somali side over the disappearance of the nine people.